Ground

GROUND

What Is Grounding?

The term ground has a very important and specific meaning in the context of electric circuits: it is an electrically neutral place, meaning that it has zero voltage or potential, which moreover has the ability to absorb excesses of either positive or negative charge and disperse them so as to remain neutral regardless of what might be electrically connected to it. The literal ground outdoors has this ability because the Earth as a whole acts as a vast reservoir of charge and is electrically neutral, and because most soils are sufficiently conductive to allow charge to move away from any local accumulation. The term earth is synonymous with ground, especially in British usage. A circuit “ground” is constructed simply by creating a pathway for charge into the earth. In the home, this is often done by attaching a wire to metal water pipes. In power systems, ground wires, capable of carrying large currents if necessary, are specifically dug into the earth.