How does electrical ground work? Why does electricity want to travel to the earth, which doesn’t seem particularly conductive?

Question

Some additional questions I have to further understanding:

Ships don’t have ground, but why couldn’t electricity on a ship ground to the ocean the same way houses ground to the earth?

A structure will have a grounding rod dug into the earth. Does the dirt, soil, and rock composition that the structure is built on affect how willing current is to use the path?

In: 77

Answer 1

I think the OP is also asking WHY does electricity want to go to the earth. Electricity is typically up in the air on hydro poles or along wires buried in a conduit but given the opportunity, electricity wants to go to ground/earth.