Ground loop (electricity)

In an electrical system, a ground loop is an equipment and wiring configuration which results in excessive unwanted current in a conductor connecting two points that are supposed to be at the same electric potential, often ground, but are actually at different potentials.Ground loops are a major cause of noise, hum, and interference in audio, video, and computer systems. They do not in themselves create an electric shock hazard, the inappropriate connections merely create a not necessarily very good instance of Electrical_bonding, which is explicitly required by safety regulations in certain circumstances. In any case the voltage difference between the ground terminals of each item of equipment is small. A severe risk of electric shock occurs when equipment grounds are improperly removed in an attempt to cure the problems thought to be caused by ground loops.