A circuit is the actual or intended path of current between points of differing voltage. Also, why the ground wire is connected to metal cases . The hot and neutral wires are interchangeable as far as the equipment is concerned. One of the power carrying wires is grounded at the source for reasons of safety (see the appendix: the origin of the 3-wire system). The only reason why the two wires are differentiated (hot vs. neutral) is to .
As the neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth groun ground and neutral are closely related.
What could be causing the copper ground and neutral wire be hot ?
This happens when the hot and neutral wires get flipped around at an outlet, or upstream from an outlet. The two 1volt wires are obtained by grounding the centertap of the transformer supplying the house so that when one hot wire is swinging positive with respect to groun the other is swinging negative.