Ground and Neutral
As the neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth ground , ground and neutral are closely related. Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous voltages appearing on equipment enclosures , so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground. Definitions Ground or earth in a mains ( AC power) electrical wiring system is a conductor that provides a low- impedance path to the earth to prevent hazardous voltages from appearing on equipme...