By Earthing:
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EARTHING & GROUNDING
When a charged body comes into contact with the earth, all the excess charge on the body dissipates by causing a momentary current to pass to the ground through the connecting conductor (such as our body). This process of transferring charges to the earth is called earthing. Earthing provides a safety measure for electrical circuits and appliances.
A thick metal plate or pipe is generally buried deep in the earth and connected to appliances through thick conducting wires. These are used in buildings or installations for the purpose of earthing equipment, machines, control panels, or other electrical objects.
The electrical wiring in our houses consists of three wires: live, neutral, and earth. The first two carry electric current from the power station, while the third is earthed by connecting it to the buried metal plate or pipe. The metallic bodies of electrical appliances such as electric irons, refrigerators, and televisions are connected to the earth wire. In the event of a fault or if the live wire comes into contact with the metallic body, the charge flows safely to the earth without damaging the appliance or causing injury. Without earthing, such faults could lead to electrical accidents, as the human body is a conductor of electricity.
Grounding:
Although the terms earthing and grounding are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Grounding refers to connecting a current-carrying path directly to create a system neutral. The main live wire is connected to a power supply to operate an appliance, while another portion of the wire is connected to the earth for safety purposes.
| Earthing VS Grounding | |
| Earthing | Grounding |
| This method protects human beings from electric shocks. | This method protects the entire power system from malfunctioning. |
| The earth wire used is green in colour. | The wire used for grounding is black in colour |
| Earthing is primarily used to avoid shocking the humans. | Grounding is primarily used for providing Reference zero voltage helping to provide near equal voltages on all phases. |
| Earthing is located under the earth pit, connecting equipment to Zero Voltage. | It is located between the neutral of the equipment being used and the ground. |
