I was in my college lab today and I somehow managed to trip the breaker and blow up the reference probe of a scope. I don't really understand how.

Here's what happened:
1. Our lab benches outlets are live-earth-neutral.
2. The (digital) scope power cord had 3 pins, which is something I wasn't aware of given that most of our cords have the 3rd pin broken off. The scope's reference probe is connected to the 3rd pin (earth).
3. I measured the AC mains input of my circuit just fine. One thing I noticed is that I could see the full signal even with the reference probe left floating. I think here by chance I had the probe at live and the reference at neutral so nothing popped.
4. I went to measure the AC output. I touched one of the outputs with probe and I again could see the signal on the scope. When I connected the reference probe then there was a current surge which left it toasted.

I must have somehow shorted earth to live but what's confusing me is that measured the full AC mains voltage at the output just with one probe so that wire must have been live. So the other one is neutral (the one I touched the reference probe with). But it blew up.

>>106320394
Obviously
>>106320419
Have another
>>106320446
I like diving through shit as long as its at least somewhat relevant to my search terms
>jeetpt
Good one :)

>>82146516
I know right? When I was younger I was a d/ic/k and wanted to be a mangaka. I practiced drawing for like 7 hours a day and did danganronpa roleplay in random discord servers and dream about owning a cafe like in YKK.

Now I'm some white-collar boring professional with nothing interesting going in my life. Well, everything goes to my job, and I have to maintain reputation in my coworker friend group so none of that quirky stuff comes out. I have a milquetoast appropriate corpo humor that makes me want to gouge my eyes out, but it's ok, I just need to be pleasant.