Question

What is the function of the earth wire?

Hint:

The earth wire is usually insulated with a green or yellow-green colored sleeve for easy identification.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Earthing is a crucial safety mechanism in household electrical wiring.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The earth wire is connected to the metallic body of appliances (like refrigerators or irons).
If there is a fault and the live wire accidentally touches the metallic casing, the casing becomes electrically 'live'.
The earth wire provides a very low-resistance path directly to the earth.
This causes a large fault current to flow to the ground rather than through a person touching the appliance, thereby preventing a fatal electric shock.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Its function is to protect users from electric shock by safely discharging leakage current to the earth.