What is a ground? What is a happening to need a ground?
In: Physics
“Ground” is an electrical path to something (typically the actual earth) that is always at 0 volts and can take electricity being sent through it at any time. In your home the ground connections are always working as intended no matter what the power company does.
Grounding is a safety feature. Any part of an electrical device that is made of metal but should not be actually carrying electricity should be connected to ground. Eg: your computer’s case, your stove, and the conduits in the walls and ceilings etc that electrical wires are connected by.
In the event of something going wrong (eg: wire carrying voltage comes loose or other damage, maybe from heat) these areas could become electrified. If someone touched it they could be electrocuted, and there could be unintended heat production. Instead the electricity flows to or from the ground, and in all likelyhood trips the fuse/circuit breaker as a result. The power has shut off and it’s safe again since the voltage is back to 0 thanks to the ground connection still being there.
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