Grounding in buildings

grounding

I'm not sure if I understand the concept of grounding correctly.

Suppose I live in an apartment's 10th floor. Now the main panel is installed in the 1st floor of the building, and I want to setup a ground for the whole building. I put a copper rod into the soil at the 1st floor, with a wire connected to the main panel.
From the main panel the ground wire goes up to my room on the 10th floor, and connected to the ground pin of the 3-hole socket on the wall.

My first question is: When I'm standing in my room on the 10th floor, is my body at the same voltage potential as the ground pin? I don't think this is the case, because the ground wire doesn't make contact with the floor I'm standing, it only makes contact with the true ground wire on the 1st floor. So probably the 10th floor is at 110V and the ground pin is at 0V, and when I touch the ground pin I get a shock. Is that possible? If so, why is grounding safe?

Suppose somehow the 10th floor is also at 0V with respect to the ground wire. Now I operate a heavy pump with the chassis connected to that ground pin, but somehow the pump leaks current to the chassis, for example the hot wire might brush against the chassis.

Now how it the grounding supposed to protect me? The chassis is still at mains voltage (220V), and my feet touching the floor is at 0V.

Best Answer

When I'm standing in my room on the 10th floor, is my body at the same voltage potential as the ground pin? I don't think this is the case, because the ground wire doesn't make contact with the floor I'm standing

A building has usually rather low ground resistance. Think of all the plumbing and other metal structures, for example.

So probably the 10th floor is at 110V and the ground pin is at 0V, and when I touch the ground pin I get a shock.

If the ground resistance is (unusually) high, you won't get a lethal shock, because there will be no current flow. Note that you may get a small shock from your own electrostatic discharge, but that is not dangerous.