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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!
If the phase and neutral wires are shorted together, the voltage in the neutral wire will be the same as the phase voltage. This is because the short circuit effectively bypasses any impedance or resistance in the circuit, causing the potential difference between the phase and neutral wires to be equal.
US NEC: The only place two circuits can share the same neutral (common) and ground wires is at the distribution panel, and that is only because those two conductors are tied together at the distribution panel.
The main electric panel is where neutral is bonded to ground. There is usually a screw or strap that connects the two so the same type panel could be used as a subpanel and have the neutral and ground unbonded in subpanel.
Turning off a switch can trip a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) on the same circuit if it disrupts the flow of current and creates an imbalance between the hot and neutral wires. GFCIs monitor the current flowing through these wires, and if they detect a difference, which can happen when the circuit is interrupted, they will trip to prevent electrical shock. Additionally, if the switch is faulty or wired incorrectly, it might cause a ground fault that triggers the GFCI to trip.
The neutral wire does carry current in a closed AC circuit. Clamp a clamp on amp meter around the neutral wire directly after the circuit load and it will read the same current as is on the "hot" wire.
If they are on the same circuit you only need 1 neutral wire in the circuit.
The "hot" wire and the neutral wire both carry current (the same amount, in fact) when a load is connected to complete the circuit. The ground wire never carries current except when a fault-to-ground situation occurs. Yes, neutral and ground wires should both be at ground potential, but NO they should not be connected at the outlet.
If the phase and neutral wires are shorted together, the voltage in the neutral wire will be the same as the phase voltage. This is because the short circuit effectively bypasses any impedance or resistance in the circuit, causing the potential difference between the phase and neutral wires to be equal.
US NEC: The only place two circuits can share the same neutral (common) and ground wires is at the distribution panel, and that is only because those two conductors are tied together at the distribution panel.
No, the ground and neutral wires should not be connected to the same bar in an electrical panel as they serve different purposes in the electrical system. Connecting them to the same bar can create safety hazards and cause electrical issues.
The main electric panel is where neutral is bonded to ground. There is usually a screw or strap that connects the two so the same type panel could be used as a subpanel and have the neutral and ground unbonded in subpanel.
No, the ground and neutral wires should not be connected to the same bar in the main panel. It is important to keep them separate to ensure proper functioning of the electrical system and to prevent potential safety hazards.
No, the sub panel neutral and ground wires should not be connected to the same bus bar. They should be connected to separate bus bars to ensure proper grounding and safety in the electrical system.
Turning off a switch can trip a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) on the same circuit if it disrupts the flow of current and creates an imbalance between the hot and neutral wires. GFCIs monitor the current flowing through these wires, and if they detect a difference, which can happen when the circuit is interrupted, they will trip to prevent electrical shock. Additionally, if the switch is faulty or wired incorrectly, it might cause a ground fault that triggers the GFCI to trip.
Neutral and Ground are the same thing, so it would just be two wires serving identical purposes.
In an electrical panel, the neutral and ground wires are connected to the same bus bar to provide a path for electricity to flow back to the source and to ground any excess electricity for safety. The neutral wire carries current back to the source, while the ground wire is a safety measure to prevent electric shock. Connecting them to the same bus bar ensures that both wires have a direct path to return electricity safely.
Yes, to the precision you can measure it. If it isn't you need to check the ground to neutral bonding at main panel and check the wiring in the circuit for loose connections.