OK....just for kicks....

[Paul W. Abernathy]

How many of you out there in HI land think Electricity is trying to get to the earth......lets see a show of hands...lol

You hear so much about grounding and the need for it and so on......so lets see.....who all thinks AC Electricity be it normally or in a fault condition is trying to get to the earth.

This should be interesting....

[Blaine Wiley]

Well, it can seek the earth, but it flows from higher to lower potential energy along a conductive path, and some paths are more conductive than others.

Man, that was a long sentence.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

lol...the question was is it trying to get to the earth....lol....dang you are as long winded as me.

[Michael Larson]

"Electricity" not being senient isn't trying to get anywhere.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

lol.......so in a general concept you would say electricity that leaves the power source is trying to get to the earth because it can...lol....

So again it is not about the PATH is chooses...it is about the intent of the Electricity.....so I ask again is electricity trying to get the EARTH...not asking will it use it as a path.....as it does but for a different reason.

[Blaine Wiley]

Well Paul, if you must. No. As Mike said, it isn't trying to get anywhere. But, under the correct circumstances it will get to earth...

[Paul W. Abernathy]

BUT I am so glad you bought that up mike.....very true I hear many people say " Electricity takes the path of least resistance/impedance "..when in fact that is false..... it takes ALL paths available. The amount to which path it takes is proportional to the amount of impedance present.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

ok.....this is why Posted the question and it was for fun guys as trust me thats all it is......NOW...I did not ask the path.......lol......I asked is Electricity TRYING to get to earth......

And because I am off today and BORED to DEATH

[Paul W. Abernathy]

OK...so where is Electicity trying to get to.......under a normal condition and a fault condition.....?..lets have it fella's.......gonna test ya now.

[Michael Larson]

No it is not trying to get to earth.

As Blaine stated it will go to earth under the right conditions but that assumes the source is earth referenced.

[dchew]

In engineering lingo, electricity will go to the lowest energy potential whenever possible. If you happen to been in that path, you will definitely feel it.

The same is true for heat energy. Hot to cold.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

dang...leave it to home inspectors to give me PATH answers than the answer to the question is electricity trying to get to earth....lol....just teasing ya guys.

Electricity takes all available paths back to the power source which in this case lets say is the transformer but it could also be a SDS as well in the example.

While electricity will flow in the earth, it is a poor conductor really because of our weak ability to connect to it with an effective method to raise its ability to be a better conductor but alas it is indeed conductive and does provide a path back to the source in proportion to the impedance of the return path.

So my next question is ( and I love your answers by the way...) so will the earth provide a GOOD ENOUGH path back to the source to clear a OCPD?

What ya say......

OH.....just so we are clear....the earth ONLY provides this path to the source and is not the INTENT of the electricity ( I use that generically ) to go to it .

[Mike Whitt]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

How many of you out there in HI land think Electricity is trying to get to the earth......lets see a show of hands...lol

My hand is down

Originally Posted by pabernathy

You hear so much about grounding and the need for it and so on......so lets see.....who all thinks AC Electricity be it normally or in a fault condition is trying to get to the earth.

The current will always return to its source and must have a path for this to happen

Originally Posted by pabernathy

This should be interesting....

Seems to be very interesting so far.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

lol.......

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

so will the earth provide a GOOD ENOUGH path back to the source to clear a OCPD?

In a word, no.
That is unless the path is very conductive.