If I understand correctly, a DC circuit powered by a simple battery would not be affected in any way by an earth ground. By earth ground, I mean a copper wire attached to the ground through a long rod in my basement floor.
Thus as far as the three circuits here show...
- the top 2 are exactly equivalent.
- the bottom one will not allow current to flow from the battery, and
- no amount of voltage, even a ridiculous quantity, could ever make this bottom circuit work.
Have I got this right in my mind?