Editing Ground plane (section)

{{Short description|Electrically conductive surface, usually connected to electrical ground}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=September 2012}}

{{Antennas|sources/regions}}

In [[electrical engineering]], a '''ground plane''' is an electrically [[Electrical conductor|conductive]] surface, usually connected to electrical [[ground (electricity)#radio_antenna_ground_system_anchor|ground]]. Ground planes are typically made of copper or aluminum, and they are often located on the bottom of printed circuit boards (PCBs).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richard |first=Dale |date=2024-01-18 |title=What is a Ground Plane? {{!}} Definition, Uses, and How to Create One |url=https://flyfreshflight.com/what-is-a-ground-plane/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=FlyFreshFlight.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The term has two different meanings in separate areas of electrical [[engineering]].
* In [[Antenna (radio)|antenna]] theory, a ground plane is a conducting surface large in comparison to the [[wavelength]], such as the Earth, which is connected to the [[transmitter]]'s ground wire and serves as a reflecting surface for [[radio wave]]s.
* In [[printed circuit board]]s, a ground plane is a large area of copper foil on the board which is connected to the power supply [[ground (electricity)|ground]] terminal and serves as a return path for current from different components on the board.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richard |first=Dale |date=2024-01-18 |title=What is a Ground Plane? {{!}} Definition, Uses, and How to Create One |url=https://flyfreshflight.com/what-is-a-ground-plane/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=FlyFreshFlight.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
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