Hi, I've been having trouble fully grasping how electrical current behaves on a center tapped, split phase transformer.
What I know is, as shown in the image above, the secondary winding inside a transformer is a single wire coiled at the center, with the the two ends sent out to the service panel for a building. There is also another wire that is grounded and 'tapped' to the center of the secondary winding. We call this the 'Neutral' wire, and it is the zero reference point for the 2 lines.
In the USA, the potential difference between 'Line 1' and 'Line 2' is 240v (When one line is pushing 120v+ referenced to ground the other line is pulling 120v- referenced to ground). The potential difference between either line and the neutral is 120v (Either line is pushing or pulling 120v referenced to the grounded neutral "0v")
- If the neutral wire is considered to be 0v because it is connected to ground, then why isn't the entire wire at 0v because the coil is directly connected to ground and neutral? What makes the lines 'Hot' and the neutral 'Not' when they are all connected together and grounded on the same side of a load?
- If the neutral wire wasn't grounded, would that make it a 60v hot wire? Like in the 240v circuit, would ungrounding the neutral create a 120v split phase? (60v+ on one side and 60v- on the other?)
What I know is, as shown in the image above, the secondary winding inside a transformer is a single wire coiled at the center, with the the two ends sent out to the service panel for a building. There is also another wire that is grounded and 'tapped' to the center of the secondary winding. We call this the 'Neutral' wire, and it is the zero reference point for the 2 lines.
In the USA, the potential difference between 'Line 1' and 'Line 2' is 240v (When one line is pushing 120v+ referenced to ground the other line is pulling 120v- referenced to ground). The potential difference between either line and the neutral is 120v (Either line is pushing or pulling 120v referenced to the grounded neutral "0v")
- If the neutral wire is considered to be 0v because it is connected to ground, then why isn't the entire wire at 0v because the coil is directly connected to ground and neutral? What makes the lines 'Hot' and the neutral 'Not' when they are all connected together and grounded on the same side of a load?
- If the neutral wire wasn't grounded, would that make it a 60v hot wire? Like in the 240v circuit, would ungrounding the neutral create a 120v split phase? (60v+ on one side and 60v- on the other?)