Think of one of them yellow tool transformers. You have 240 into the primary side. The secondary winding has the earth connected to the centre of it, so that the output is two lines [one from each end of the secondary winding], with 110V between them, [180 degrees apart, [think sine wave] and between either end of the winding and the earth that is connected to the centre of the winding, naturally enough, you get 55v.
A split phase is the same but bigger. They run one single phase at 11,000v [from a three phase supply located elsewhere] into it and the output is 460V ac. Then all they have to do is to tap the centre of the secondary winding and earth "their" end and so you end up with two wires on the output with 460 between them [180 degrees apart, [think sine wave again]. You connect ONE of the wires to the neutral that is derived from the centre of the secondary and you get 230v.
The neutral of ALL supplies, single to your house or three phase is earthed at "their end" This is why you do not get a shock when you touch the neutal, because, as it rises to 230v so does the ground you are standing on, so there is no "potential difference" and so no current flows..
Now, you can have a broken neutral in the supply system. This is VERY dangerous, as, in a TNCS system the earth is connected to the neutral too. So, as it is no longer earthed at "their" end, it will rise in voltage just as the "live" wire does. This means that if you touch it now, and you are earthed, you WILL receive a shock..
This is the reason that you have "bonding" with all conductive bits in an installation, whether parts of the installation itself [like metal enclosures] or external earthed parts, [like a metallic gas or water pipe] all connected together, so the voltage rises in them all at the same time. Therefore, once again, you will not recieve a shock i you touch one while in contact with another..
Now, under these fault conditions, you hold a "class one" appliance [say a metal cased electric drill] and you step outside the "equipotential zone" [go outside] and step onto your lawn say, and you WILL get a shock.. This is why sockets that are used for things that will be taken outside, MUST be fed from an RCD which will cut off the supply as soon as you touch the earth [and therefore get your shock]
john..