What is the function of the neutral wire? If it carries current away from the appliance, where does this current go, since the neutral is grounded. Is this excess current?
by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 2
-
It is neutralized.
-
The neutral wire just completes the circuit back to the power souce. If you don't have a complete path back to the source there is no current flow. It is NOT excess current. Consider a light bulb, you certainly wouldn't expect it to light up if you only hooked it to one wire from the power souce. In home wiring, the neutral is typically grounded at the power source, but current doesn't flow to ground unless there is something faulty in path somewhere. Grounding the neutral protects us be insuring that there isn't a voltage on the neutral wire if something goes wrong.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC