Currents Intermingling

Q. Do source and utilization currents intermingle in the earth and how?

A. Yes they do. The tie wire between the neutrals (across the transformer) allows the currents from each side, source and utilization, to cross over to the other and intermingle on the neutral wires and in the earth. Some current from the supply side flows on the conductive pathways of the utilization side and vice versa. This cross-flow is illustrated below for the simple case of a light bulb on a 120-V circuit.

Current intermingling on the neutral and in the earth.

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