"Arlen G. Holder" writes:
From the US homeowner's perspective of working backward from a wall outlet
o What is the difference between ground and neutral in the US?


Using the correct terminology:

* Grounded Conductor
* Grounding Conductor

The former is bonded to ground at the service entrance (or pole pig) and provides
the so-called "neutral" conductor for the two current carrying conductors
in a normal 240VAC north american residential supply on 120VAC circuits.

The latter is a dedicated conductor connected to a grounding electrode
at the service entrance and provides an emergency safety path. Typically
metal parts of an appliance are bonded to the grounding conductor to
prevent people from becoming the ground path if the metal parts are
accidentally energized.