Grounding causes a fuse to break or trip at the circuit breaker in case of a fault.

Electricity is dangerous if mishandled or if the wiring system has a fault or malfunctions. Electrical grounding is the process of safely dissipating an electricity charge. Grounding in the electrical supply system is the part that removes excess electrical charge by transferring it to another object to be neutralised, such as the earth. The excess charge follows the path of least resistance to discharge. If not neutralised, a power surge will toast appliances. If a conductor object, for instance, a human being or an animal comes into contact with an overcharged electrical system that is not grounded, they will act as the ground. If that happens they suffer an electric shock or electrocution. Household grounding begins at the utility pole. A bare wire connected to the neutral wire is buried underground.

How does electrical grounding work?

Grounding provides safety to anyone who uses electricity. Utility pole grounding safeguards the entire system from surges that may be caused by lighting. The grounded connection directs the current to flow back to the ground.

Within electrical systems, surges may cause components of electronic equipment to burn. Grounding helps channel excess electricity away from the gadgets. Grounding causes a fuse to break or trip power at the circuit breaker in case of a fault. Harmful current gets terminated at the electrical box before reaching wiring systems.

What are the wires in a power cable?

Grid electricity cables carry very high voltage and low current. For everyday use, a step down transformer “steps down” the voltage and increases the current. Power is accessed from socket outlets to a standard 3-pin plug.

The 3 prong socket outlet and plug pin have three wires. The first is the active or the hot wire that carries the charge from the generation point to the point of use. It transmits the voltage and it could be harmful to touch. It is brown in current power cables and red in older versions.

The second wire is called neutral. It completes the circuit and acts as the return path. Currently, it’s blue but was black in past systems. Ground, the third wire, is a requirement. It connects to the neutral. It channels away any surges, providing safety to a connected device and users. It is green/yellow in the modern system and green in older installations. The ground wire and the third prong all connect to the grounding earth on the socket outlet and the plug.