Final answer:
The inoperativeness of an electric cooling fan can indeed be caused by a bad ground in the cooling fan circuit or a bad wire to the fan relay, as both interrupt the electrical flow required for operation.
Step-by-step explanation:
An electric cooling fan being inoperative could be caused by a variety of electrical issues. When diagnosing, a technician may look for problems such as a bad ground in the cooling fan circuit or a bad wire to the fan relay. Both of these issues can interrupt the electrical flow needed to operate the fan properly. A bad ground could prevent the completion of the circuit, leading to the fan not receiving power. Similarly, a bad wire to the fan relay could mean that the necessary signal to turn the fan on is not being relayed, also resulting in an inoperative fan. Considering basic electrical principles, as demonstrated in scenarios where faulty ground connections cause appliances to malfunction or circuit breakers to trip, both the bad ground and the bad wire to the relay are viable causes of the problem.