Power is generated at the powerstation, gets sent through cables to our house, through wires into my microwave. My microwave has a fault so the current goes down the earth wire into the ground but then where? Where is the ground connected backup to this circuit to complete the link and allow the current to flow??
In: Physics
You basicly already answered your own question. The circuit closes through ground. The transformer that powers your house has a primary high voltage side and a secondary low voltage side. The secondary side of the transformer is grounded somewhere. What that looks like depends on the type of electrical network used in your region.
Now, if a electrical device faults through ground an electrical circuit is closed through ground and a current will flow through the earthing system of your house back to the transformer.
There also is a type of electrical network that either has a very high resistence connection to ground or is completly insulated from ground. Here only the appliances or machines are grounded, but the transformer is not. A single fault to ground poses no problem here. This type of electrical network is mainly used in huge factories or operating rooms in hospitals.
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