What is the term for connecting a circuit or equipment to the earth?

The term for connecting a circuit or equipment to the earth is grounding. Grounding serves multiple essential purposes in electrical systems. It helps to ensure safety by providing a path for electrical fault currents to flow safely into the earth, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock to individuals and minimizing fire hazards. By creating a reference point at zero voltage potential, grounding stabilizes voltage levels and helps protect equipment from overvoltages caused by surges, lightning strikes, or other transient conditions.

In contrast, bonding refers to the practice of connecting different pieces of conductive equipment together to ensure they have the same electrical potential, thus preventing potential differences that could lead to shocks. Isolating typically involves separating a circuit or equipment from its source of power or other circuits for maintenance or safety, while neutralizing is a term that can refer to balancing or correcting electrical parameters but does not specifically describe the act of connecting to the earth. Therefore, grounding is the most appropriate term for this process.