Ground and common clearing it up

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The discussion clarifies the concepts of "ground," "earth," and "common" in electrical systems. Earth serves as a safety path for dangerous currents, while ground is often used as a reference point in circuits, typically at 0 V. The metal case of an appliance can act as a return path for current, but it may be isolated in certain designs to prevent faults. The importance of ground is emphasized in preventing electric shocks by ensuring that fault currents are directed safely away from users, as illustrated with a washing machine example. Overall, understanding these terms is crucial for safe electrical design and operation.
  • #31
I think the thread has drifted into 'ground and neutral [public power transmission]' rather than 'common' which is a term generally to do with portable systems. Maybe better to have put this stuff about public distribution in its own thread.
 

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