Grounding serves the following principal purposes:
• It provides an electrical supply system with an electrical reference to the
groundmass. By connecting a particular point of the supply source to the
ground (such as the neutral of a three-phase source), it is ensured that any
other point of the system stays at a certain potential with reference to the
ground.
• A metallic surface of the enclosure of an electrical system is grounded to
ensure that it stays at ground potential always and thus remains safe to persons
who may come into contact with it.
• It provides a low-impedance path for accumulated static charges and surges
caused by atmospheric or electrical phenomenon to the ground thus ensuring
that no damage is caused to sensitive equipment and personnel.
Electrical systems were not always grounded. The first systems were ungrounded