Difference Between Neutral and Ground
In our house if it is an old one, we come across only two wires in the electricity wiring. One wire is called live wire or positive wire while other is called neutral. The color of a live wire is generally red and the other is black. In Canada and USA, 120 volt is supplied in homes. Sometime a live wire is called the hot wire. In fact a live wire carries the current of electricity and the neutral wire helps in returning the current back. The return of the current is necessary without which the flow of current is not maintained. There was another type of wire called earth wire. It sends the leaked current to the earth and saves from the damage to us. The ground wire is for the safety. There is a difference between neutral wire and ground wire.
Ground wire is always remaining at zero potential. On the other hand the potential of a neutral wire depends upon the imbalance between the wires. In fact, ground has always zero potential which taken as universal. A neutral wire is provided to the consumers by the company so that the path of the electricity is closed. On the other hand earth wire is there to prevent any accident due to the leakage of the electric current. Many mis happening are avoided with the help of ground wire which is embedded in the ground at the other end. The principle is that leaked current goes to the earth and becomes neutral as the mass of the earth makes the positive charge neutral.
In homes power plugs are dangerous for children. They may touch them inside and can get hurt by the electric shock. The ground wire attached to the plug prevents from mishappening. The ground wire is buried deep in the earth inside or outside the house with a conductor plate attached to it. It is also known as earthing wire.