Are the ground and neutral wires the same circuit?

Answer 1

This is a complicated question to answer accurately. Maybe someone else with enough time available may be able to give a better answer than this one!

For more information on this very interesting topic, please see the answers to the Related Questions and also the much more detailed Related Link whcih you will find below this answer.

In North America, the "neutral" (or "grounded") wire and the grounding (or protective ground) wire are bonded together and connected to a solid Earth ground at a single point in every building electrical service. Obviously at that point, the grounding and neutral wire have the same potential.

At other points, the function of the two wires has to be considered. The neutral is a current carrying conductor, and the grounding wire is not. Since the neutral carries current, there will be some voltage drop between any remote point in the building's wiring and the point where the neutral is bonded to ground, if any current is flowing. This will result in a small potential difference between neutral and ground--usually a few volts at most.

The above is only true if things are working properly. If a neutral wire breaks, then all the neutral connections beyond the break can be at the "hot" wire potential. There are other faults that can cause a "hot" neutral, so it is never safe to assume the neutral is at ground potential.

It is also important to note that the neutral should NEVER be used as a safety ground and vice-versa. I have seen this done: where some incompetent handyman jumpered the neutral wire to the green screw / ground on a receptacle because there was no grounding wire in the box (old two-wire house wiring from before grounding wires were required). Unfortunately another incompetent had switched the hot and neutral someplace, so the result was any appliance plugged into the outlet had a hot metal frame!

Answer 2

Yes, but it is NOT the same as the "ground" wire.

In a typical home application (in the US), 240 Volts is delivered to your home through the meter base. The 240 Volts comes from a transformer; typically not very far away.

Although the transformer provides 240 Volts, the CENTER TAP of the transformer effectively divides the electrical current into two halves, with 120 Volts on each half.

Inside the home you have the option of using either 240 Volts or 120 Volts. If you use 120 Volts you are using electrical power from the center tap to one of the "hot" legs of the transformer.

Inside the breaker panel the center tap is referred to as common or neutral.

Unfortunately there can be some confusion since the term "common" is also used to describe one of the connections on a 3-way switch. The common on a 3-way switch is never neutral or grounded and it is "hot" whenever the light is on from either switch.

Answer 3

The ground wire is never to be used as a current carrying conductor. Even though it has the same potential as the neutral, it is only used to carry a short circuit current back to the distribution panel to trip the breaker and isolate the short circuit from the electrical system.

Answer 4

No, the ground wire and neutral wire serve different purposes in an electrical circuit. The ground wire provides a safe path for current to flow in the event of a fault, while the neutral wire carries current back to the electrical panel. Both wires are essential for proper electrical functioning and safety.

Answer 5

The ground wire and neutral wire are not the same.

Answer 6

No