What Is Electrical Grounding & Earthing?
Electrical grounding and earthing are both types of grounding. A grounded circuit could be a wire that is literally connected to the ground, or it may be a circuit with no voltage. Grounding is important in circuit operation and electrical safety.
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Circuit Ground
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Circuit ground is the negative side in a circuit. The negative or minus side of batteries and power supplies in circuits are grounds. They are considered to have zero potential in relation to the input voltage.
Earthing
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In an earth ground, a circuit has a direct path to the earth via a wire connected to a metal object in the ground, such as a water pipe.
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Plugs and Ground
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AC plugs are sold with two or three prongs, but three-prong plugs are safer. The first two prongs connect to the positive and negative parts of the circuit. The third connects to a wire in the circuit that does not carry any current, and also to a grounded metal part in an outlet.
Chassis Ground
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In chassis grounding, the circuit is physically connected to the metal container that houses it. This may be done with a wire, a metal plate, or foil.
Discharging Static Electricity
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Technicians working with components sensitive to static electricity ground themselves by wearing wires connected to metal parts. This discharges the electricity, sending it to the ground. Anti-glare screen protectors using wires connected to metal parts operate the same way.
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