Herb and Eneva wrote:
Will someone please explain the difference between the grounding
wire---white, and the grounded wire---green, in a circut? They both go
to the same busbar.


Description is backward.
The groundING wire is green (commonly called a ground wire).
The groundED wire is white (commonly called a neutral wire).
Use of these terms in the National Electrical Code is very confusing.

The white wire is groundED at the service. This has 2 parts:
Connection to the earth keeps the hot and white wire voltage to earth at
a safe level.
Connection to the groundING wires provides a path back to the
transformer for fault current to trip a breaker.


The green wire is for groundING exposed metal.
Connection to earth at the service keeps exposed metal at approximate
earth potential.
If there is a fault to exposed metal, the groundING wire will conduct
current back to the service, through the bond to the supply wire that
was groundED, and back to the transfromer to trip a breaker.

As others have noted, the groundED wire normally caries circuit current.
The groundING wire is for safety and normally does not.
--
bud--