edit: five year old. we’re looking for something a kid can understand. don’t need full theory with every implication here, just the basic concept.
edit edit: Y’ALL ARE AMAZING!!
In: 4172
If only one person reads and remembers this, it was worth it.
It is a common misconception that there is no current flowing through the neutral wire.
Your phase is always able to deliver current, regardless to where it ends, can be your lamp or tv, your any human or animal that touches it.
When you close the circuit, e.g. turn on the lamp, current will travel through both phase and neutral wires.
The Ground, actually called PE, protective earth, will connect e.g. the metal casing of a lamp to earth. If now for any chance phase or neutral are connected to the case, it would electrocute you if you touch it. If PE is connected, most, not all, of the current will choose the way better conductor aka the ground wire, leaving only “safe” amounts taking the route through your body. In addition, there are different ways to detect that leaking current you therefore cut off power. Some of which may use PE. The most common (in europe at least) is FI-Switches, however, they do not use/need PE.
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