Ground (electricity)

In electrical engineering, ground or earth is the reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the Earth.

In electrical power distribution systems, a protective ground conductor is an essential part of the safety Earthing system.

Electrical circuits may be connected to ground (earth) for several reasons. In mains powered equipment, exposed metal parts are connected to ground to prevent user contact with dangerous voltage if electrical insulation fails. Connections to ground limit the build-up of static electricity when handling flammable products or electrostatic-sensitive devices. In some telegraph and power transmission circuits, the earth itself can be used as one conductor of the circuit, saving the cost of installing a separate return conductor (see single-wire earth return).

For measurement purposes, the Earth serves as a (reasonably) constant potential reference against which other potentials can be measured. An electrical ground system should have an appropriate current-carrying capability to serve as an adequate zero-voltage reference level. In electronic circuit theory, a "ground" is usually idealized as an infinite source or sink for charge, which can absorb an unlimited amount of current without changing its potential. Where a real ground connection has a significant resistance, the approximation of zero potential is no longer valid. Stray voltages or earth potential rise effects will occur, which may create noise in signals or if large enough will produce an electric shock hazard.

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Latest News for: earth ground

All Earth Once Drowned - Ed Bennett's musical call to action

RTE 31 Mar 2025
Composer Ed Bennett returns to New Music Dublin this year with the world premiere of All Earth Once Drowned, a powerful new work created in collaboration with poet Cherry Smyth and performed by a fresh incarnation of his renowned Decibel Ensemble.

Vietnam gives nod to Starlink satellite internet services

The Saigon Times 31 Mar 2025
To proceed, SpaceX must establish a ground gateway station in Vietnam to manage data traffic, ensuring that all local user data passes through the station and integrates into Vietnam’s public telecommunications network.

Myanmar earthquake: Thailand orders probe into Bangkok skyscraper collapse after China firm's link found

Hindustan Times 31 Mar 2025
And in Bangkok, which is built on soft soil, seismic waves i.e., the earth's vibrations, slow down and build up and get bigger in size. Hence, making the ground shaking even more intense.

Once the world’s tallest roller coaster, Superman at Six Flags Magic Mountain closes

Las Vegas Review-Journal 31 Mar 2025
ANAHEIM, Calif ... The Lex Luther ... Escape from Krypton closes ... Superman ... Escape from Krypton when the ride vehicles were flipped around so riders were launched backwards and looked toward ground as they plummeted back toward Earth, according to RCDB ... ______.

Scientists say time travel IS possible - and people have already done it | Daily ...

The Daily Mail 30 Mar 2025
The clock moving eastward with the earth's rotation would be moving faster than the one on the ground and so experience less time passing ... Meanwhile, the clock flying westward, against the earth's ...

Elon Musk's Mars Colonization Plans Foiled by Pesky Foe

Futurism 30 Mar 2025
"A mission to Mars does not have the luxury of rapid return to Earth for treatment, nor can it rely on flight surgeon ground support for care due to communication delays of up to 40 min round-trip.".

Kinsler: Ever wonder about practical cooking in 1912? There is a book for that

Lancaster Eagle Gazette 30 Mar 2025
Wander Women re-define retirement, one adventurous hike at a time ... There are a dozen recipes for forcemeats, in which the earthly remains of a fish, cow, chicken, or deer are ground, twice forced through a sieve, and finally pounded into a mold.

Myanmar and Thailand earthquakes: Tips and tricks to stay safe during the disaster

The Times of India 29 Mar 2025
What happens during an earthquake?During an earthquake, the ground shakes violently due to the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust, generating seismic waves that propagate outwards.

Another earthquake of magnitude 4.2 jolts Myanmar

The Siasat Daily 29 Mar 2025
Shallow earthquakes like this one are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth’s surface, causing stronger ground shaking and increased damage to ...

'When it's your time, it's your time': Tourists recall chaos of earthquake striking Bangkok

Hindustan Times 29 Mar 2025
French tourist Augustin Gus was shopping for a t-shirt when the ground beneath him started to shake. “Just when I left the elevator, the earth started moving. I thought it was me it was not me,” the 23-year-old told AFP, as chaos unfolded around him.

Alo Yoga dropped a Smoky Quartz line – these are the pieces we can’t stop ...

Michigan Live 29 Mar 2025
The athleisure brand recently announced the launch of its Smoky Quartz collection ... It will support you from the ground up while helping the planet; because the Alo Runner is also made with 70% recycled materials for a lighter footprint on the Earth.

Luz Art Gallery Presents Art Exhibition "Great Light" by Laurie Lea

ACCESSWIRE 28 Mar 2025
... film, ground minerals and semi-precious stones to create surprising visual phenomena. Combining driftwood with these light and glass art works grounds these visual effects with solid earth and nature.

What comes to the surface after the death of a loved one | Opinion

Kitsap Sun 28 Mar 2025
A crazy superstition, one of those fallacies that has no grounding in truth but you secretly believe it anyway ... Not so ... I felt the earth below my feet embraced many cultures, practiced many beliefs, and I liked being surrounded by such tolerant ground.

Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently closes Superman coaster

San Gabriel Valley Tribune 28 Mar 2025
Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently closed the Superman ... ALSO SEE ... Escape from Krypton when the ride vehicles were flipped around so riders were launched backwards and looked toward ground as they plummeted back toward Earth, according to RCDB ... .

Massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Myanmar; more than a hundred killed

WPXI 28 Mar 2025
More than 100 people were killed when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand on Friday ... will help ... Seismologist James Jackson said the quake was like a “great knife cut into the Earth” and that it shook the ground for “a full minute.” ... ....
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