Which term describes the path to ground created by touching a live object while grounded?

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Touch potential is the voltage difference between the point you touch on a live object and the surrounding ground. When you are grounded and you grab a live conductor, current will flow from the live object through your body to the earth. The size of that current is driven by how hot the touch point sits above ground—the touch potential. This is the specific scenario electricians monitor because it directly governs the current path through you.

Step potential would involve the voltage difference between places on the ground your feet occupy as you move, not the contact point itself. Ground potential describes the earth’s voltage relative to a reference, not the current path through a person who touches a live object. Voltage potential is a more general term and not the standard label for this particular hazard.