What does "bonding" in electrical systems refer to?

The concept of "bonding" in electrical systems is fundamentally about connecting different metal parts together to ensure they maintain the same electrical potential. This process is important for safety reasons; it helps reduce the risk of electrical shock by ensuring that all conductive parts are at the same voltage level. If one part of an electrical system were to become energized due to a fault and was not properly bonded with other parts, there could be a dangerous voltage difference that could lead to electric shock.

Bonding helps create a continuous conductive path between different components, which not only enhances safety but also contributes to the effectiveness of ground fault detection systems. By maintaining the same electrical potential across various metal parts, bonding reduces the likelihood of current flowing through unintended pathways, thereby preventing electrical hazards.

This crucial aspect distinguishes bonding from other processes, such as isolating components to prevent interference or enhancing circuit efficiency. Each of those processes addresses different concerns within electrical systems, but they do not encapsulate the primary aim of bonding, which is to unify the electrical potential across conductive structures.