are they the words for the same thing? When we say ‘connect to ground’ does that mean the same as connect it to the negative terminal of the battery?
Or do we connect a ground pin TO the negative terminal of a battery. Such that if we have multiple devices, and we connect them to the same ground pin, all the current can sink into the negative terminal of the battery? As it should?
MAINLY IN REGARDS TO ARDUINOS.
In: 1
A negative terminal can terminate into ground via a switch, but the negative terminal of a circuit is not the same as ground.
Think of electricity like water.
To create a complete circuit with a battery you are creating a channel through which water can travel in a circle from origin back around to origin.
The positive terminal is where the water flows **in** to the channel. The negative terminal is where the water complete its run around the channel and flows back into the source point.
A ground would be like opening a spigot to let the water run out from the channel onto the ground itself, without completing the run around the channel provided.
The “ground” must always be placed between the pos and neg terminals in order to provide a relief point for the circuit. Once ground is utilized, energy no longer travels to the neg terminal.
In an electrical circuit the ground is active when a fuse trips or a switch is actuated. Without a ground point if the circuit is broken somehow the live energy will continually flow in a manner trying to reach the neg terminal. If this occurs, failure and possibly fire could result.
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