mains electricity

Question 1

neutral colour, use, voltage

Answer 1

• blue
• completes the circuit, when appliance is operating current flows it
• 0V

Question 2

live colour, use, voltage

Answer 2

• brown
• carries the alternating current from the supply
• 230V, current flows through it

Question 3

earth colour, use, voltage

Answer 3

• green and yellow stripes
• safety wire to stop the appliance becoming live
• doesn’t carry a current (only if a fault), 0V

Question 4

pd of each wire

Answer 4

neutral-0V
live-230V
earth-0V

Question 5

colour of each wire

Answer 5

neutral-blue
live-brown
earth-green/yellow

Question 6

why does touching the live wire give you an electric shock?

Answer 6

-body is at 0V
-a large pd is produced across your body and current flows through you
-causes a large electric shock

Question 7

why are plug sockets still dangerous even if switched off?

Answer 7

-still a pd in the wire which can cause an electric shock
-if you touched the live wire your body would provide a link between the supply and the earth so a current would flow through you

Question 8

what is dangerous in terms of the earth and the live wire?

Answer 8

any connection as it provides a link in which a current will flow

Question 9

pd between live wire and earth

Answer 9

230V