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Hmm okay starting to make more sense now. Do you know a good visual explanation that shows the "path" electricity takes from the transformer to your home and back out to the ground rod. Note: I fully understand in AC the electrons aren't actually moving along this path. But I guess I don't see how the circuit is ever "complete" or a circle.

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This video has a great visual explanation of grounding, imho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-W42tk-fWc

This was exactly what I was looking for thank you!

It doesn't go "back out to the ground rod," it goes back to the transformer. Note this paragraph in the parent comment:

> And it's not that charge carriers are always flowing back to earth, but back to their source. That's why ground is sometimes called a "return path." To move a charge carrier, you need to give it potential. It will lose that potential and return to the point of lowest potential difference from its origin - which is its origin.

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