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The bare (or green) grounding wire is for user safety. If there is a fault inside an appliance, a wire can become disconnected and touch other parts. If it is the "hot" side of the circuit, the parts can become energized (whether or not the switch is on). This is a dangerous hazard because a person can touch the appliance, while being grounded by touching something else, and "complete" the circuit; namely electrocution. With a safety grounding wire, there is a better chance that any parts a person could touch would be connected to the grounding wire, and thus the same hot fault would cause a short circuit to trip the breaker.

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Is common and ground the same?

No, common and ground are not the same. In electrical systems, the ground wire provides a safe path for current to flow in case of a fault, while the common wire is used to complete the circuit. The ground wire is primarily a safety feature, while the common wire is part of the circuit itself.


Can a ground wire touch metal without causing any electrical hazards or interference?

Yes, a ground wire can touch metal without causing electrical hazards or interference because the purpose of a ground wire is to provide a safe path for excess electrical current to flow to the ground, preventing electrical shocks and protecting equipment.


What is a wire that discharges excess electricity to the earth?

A wire that discharges excess electricity to the earth is called a grounding wire or a ground wire. It is used to prevent damage to electrical components and protect against electric shock by providing a path for the excess electricity to safely flow into the ground.


What is the purpose of the AC ground wire in electrical circuits?

The purpose of the AC ground wire in electrical circuits is to provide a safe path for excess electrical current to flow to the ground, preventing electric shock and protecting against electrical fires.


Will the bird on the high voltage wire be shocked?

If the bird is not touching the ground or another conductor while sitting on the high voltage wire, it will not be shocked. This is due to the principle of equipotentiality, where the bird and the wire are at the same electrical potential.

Related Questions

What do you need and how can you install a ground cable if your 240V outlet doesn't have a ground wire?

You need a 3 conductor wire with ground. For example if you had a 30 amp breaker for that outlet you would need 10awg 3w/ground. That's 10 gauge 3 conductor with ground and replace the old wire back to the panel.


What do you do with the ground wire when installing a new thermostat that doesn't have a connection for the ground wire It's a 4 wire Honeywell thermostat Is it ok to not connect the ground wire?

That Thermostat is LOW voltage. IT does not have a ground wire. There is no need for a ground. it only opperates on 24 volts. there may be a green wire but it does not mean it is a ground


Does the ground wire on a 200 amp box need to be 3 ought also?

No, you can use #4 bare copper ground wire.


Is a wire marked comm a ground wire?

Probably not. We'd need to know what the wire goes to in order to be certain about this.


How can you test a fuel pump out of the tank?

You can test the fuel pump by touching the positive wire on the positive post of the battery. You will need to ground the ground wire.


How do you ground a plastic box ground wire attached to GCFI and ground at fuse panel. Do I need to ground at the box itself as well?

If the plastic box has a ground wire attached to the GFCI and the ground at the fuse panel, you do not need to ground the box itself. As long as the ground wire is connected to the GFCI and the fuse panel, the box will be effectively grounded. Just ensure that all connections are secure and properly fastened.


Does the ground wire on a 200 amp panel need to be looped through both ground rods?

No, the ground wire on a 200 amp panel does not need to be looped through both ground rods. The ground wire typically needs to be connected to the grounding electrode system, which may include ground rods, but it does not need to loop through them. It is important to follow local electrical codes and guidelines when installing grounding systems.


What is meant by ground wire?

It means a wire in the ground.


How do I rewire an ungrounded plug?

If there is no ground wire connect the ground wire to the neutral wire.


How do I test for a ground wire?

Check the continuity of the ground wire from both the ends. Ensure the ground wire is properly connected to earth / ground terminals


How do you wire a wire to a wire?

If you are connecting 120 volts, you connect the black wire to the breaker, white wire to the neutral bar, and ground wire to the ground bar. If you are connecting 240 volts connect the black & white wires to the breaker, & ground wire to the ground bar.


Do you need 3-wire romex to feed bedroom ceiling box by electrical code?

No, you can feed it with a 2 wire Romex + ground. It depends on what is mounted on the ceiling. If it is just a light all you need is 2 wire + ground Romex. However if it is a fan/light and you want to control each one independant of the other you will need to use 3 wire Romex + ground. This is of course if you have 2 seperate switches. You would then connect the red wire to the blue light wire and the black wire to the black fan wire. If you use 2 wire Romex just connect the blue and black fan/light wire to the black wire in the ceiling box.