> Some non-electricians will hook up the earth as a common - using it as the 
> return path for the hot.
>
> In this case the potential will vary with the amount of current on the 
> wire.

But I think that Buildings Standards require that the resistance to ground 
be low enough that for the Earth voltage to become dangerous, enough current 
must flow to blow a fuse.  Otherwise this kind of relatively common fault 
would leave metal cases of everything in the house electrified to dangerous 
voltages!

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