ABSTRACT
ZERO-VOLT REFERENCE Voltage is only meaningful when it is referenced to another point. When a bird lands on a high-voltage wire, it doesn’t get electrocuted because it does not complete a circuit to a zero-voltage reference or to another point in the circuit with a different potential. If the bird happens to straddle the gap between the high-voltage line and the metal transmission tower or another line, sparks will fly. That’s because the voltage needs a reference.
