What is the main difference between Ground and Neutral?

 

If you are talking about the AC in your house, Neutral carries the return current from whatever you are operating. Ground is the safety wire to carry any current resulting from a fault in the device you are operating. Do a search. This has been discussed so many times with so many ways of explaining it.

 

That's a good short explanation.

I also like the "code" definition.

Shorter yet.

Neutral (wire)= grounded conductor.

Ground (wire)= grounding conductor.

 

In terms of the common AC supply they are considered to be at the same potential, one main distinction is that neutral is considered a current carrying conductor whereas the ground should never intentionally be used as as such.
Max.

 

Don't get too technical on this one. This is a school question. See Homework section for, "Which one is the best system... 60Hz or 50Hz."

 

In terms of the common AC supply they are considered to be at the same potential, one main distinction is that neutral is considered a current carrying conductor whereas the ground should never intentionally be used as as such.

Max.

This one should have a sticky !!!

 

When I was in the Navy, we had a drawing in our shop of an airplane towing a bucket of dirt for a ground.

 

Well, thats all very well for the aircraft ground, But where do you connect to ground on a Navy ship.
Pot plant, perhaps?

 

That's what the anchor does. Problem is that it slows the ship down a lot.

 

But where do you connect to ground on a Navy ship.
Pot plant, perhaps?

Or the expression 'Swinging the Lead' takes on another connotation.
Max.

 

Talking about swinging the lead...... I forgot to retract the trailing wire antenna (150' of copper clad steel wire with a 5 lb lead weight) only once. What a mess of wire on the runway when we landed. No telling how many gooney birds I wiped out.

 

Well, thats all very well for the aircraft ground, But where do you connect to ground on a Navy ship.
Pot plant, perhaps?

For the antennas, the best ground plane, is the water.