Safety and work practicesQuestion 591 of 1506

What is a ground fault?

  1. A planned connection of one conductor to a buried grounding rod
  2. A break in a conductor that stops the current in the circuit
  3. An unplanned link between a live conductor and the ground
  4. A short circuit between two conductors of the same system
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Correct answer: An unplanned link between a live conductor and the ground

A ground fault is unplanned. A tree branch or damp dirt on an insulator can cause one.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 3.3: Shock Current Path

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Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026