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Ground is used to ground the leagage current
Neutral is used to close the circuit
No they should not be used vice-versa as they have different functions. A Neutral is to complete the circuit ie it provides the return path for the current when a switch is turned ON. On the other hand a Ground is prodived for safety purposes to provide a safe exit to the current during short circuits, leakages etc. Under normal operating conditions Ground does not carry any current. Also in a circuit any current detected in the Ground (Earth) would cause a circuit breaker to operate, disconnecting the power (line) from the equipment being operated, for safety reasons.
Earth point is the point connected locally to ground, i.e. earthed locally at the consumer premises while Neutral point is a point that is connected to ground (earthed) as well but faraway at some point of the power company equipment (e.g. the star point of the secondary stepdown transformer feeding the consumer premises). See the picture that I prepared to illustrate the answer. Hence neutral at consumer premises is ground point at some other company's equipment.The role of Neutral point (Neutral wire) is to close the circuit and carry the consumer load current (return current) back to the transformer point) while the earth point (earth wire at consumer premises) shall carry no current in normal situations. The earth point (earth wire) is used to bond the metallic chassis of consumer equipment that is isolated from live wires. Hence, the earth wire is used to ensure safety of equipment and personnel in two cases:-The earth wire will carry (short) currents in case of chassis of the equipment becomes electrified , i.e. a bare live conductor touches the metallic chassis. This short current will trip some circuit breaker in the way immediately.- The earth wire will carry (Leakage) small currents due to insulation deterioration, humidity and carbon deposit on the insulator. In this case a special breaker called ELCB (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker) or RCCB (Residual Current Circuit Breaker) that is calibrated to trip at small currents (of the order of6-30 mA for residual purposes and300mA for industrial purposes). Not all electric codes enforces the uses of ELCB's or RCCB's.Hope you found this answer of value.
Ankit Rawat
Ground or earth is used as low impedance path to protect the equipment from high voltage surge.
Neutral is connected to ground and carries current in normal operation.
Ground is the earth that we wire and connect to all equipment enclosures for safety. Neutral is the common point of 3-phase Wye connection among main stator winding of Generators and Secondaries of power transformers but it is connected to ground to prevent floating of this neutral point that might cause looping of undesired large currents when the system becomes much unbalance and that can cause burden and damage to winding coils and cable conductors.
