The need for a neutral

[Cricketer]

Could anybody tell me what the purpose of the neutral lead is in the British wiring system? Does it not make the live wire more dangerous if touched?

[Flurfl]

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/neutral_ground_seperate.html

I'm not sure why you think it would be more dangerous?

[Flurfl]

sorry try this

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/neutral_gr ound_separate.html

[Flurfl]

Ok do a google for neutral wiring instead

[norfolk boy]

It is the return path to earth.If you was to touch the live it would be a dead short.

[rojash]

Try this:

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/neutral_gr ound_separate.html

[magicdice]

the earth wire is the return path to earth, fool

[smorodina]

norfolk boy is no fool, neutral is grounded at the supply station. The earth wire is a safety wire that grounds the equipment in case of a fault.

[Cricketer]

The reason I think that it would be more dangerous is that on construction site the two leads in question are both live and this means that if one is touched it simply determines the value of the lead to "neutral," "ground," or "zero" which ever name is more suitable and this means that both the live wires need to be touched in order to recieve a fatal shock. Let's take it into a real life situation, let's say one was mowing the lawn in the UK and one stepped on the lead and there was a hidden peice of flint in the ground, which then "nicked" the lead, so that there was a protuding peice of live wire, the lawnmower would still be working just fine. Then if one were to sweep the lead out of the way and unaware of the insulation fault were to touch the lead, then one would get a fatal shock. Now, let's say one were to be mowing the lawn on a construction site (I don't know why...) and the same suituation occured and the live wire protruded again, now if one were to touch this it would simply as explained above make it "neutral" thus no fatal shock. So even though this is the case and having the construction site style two live leads is more safe why do the British and many other countries worldwide prefer to have a "neutral"? What are its advantages?