Is The White Wire The Hot Wire
It provides the return path for the current provided by the hot wire.
Is the white wire the hot wire. Determining the hot wire in a two prong plug can be done using one of two methods. A single pole single throw switch such as a light. The white wire is called the neutral wire. The white wire is the neutral or return leg of the circuit the green is the ground wire making the black or red wire the hot one.
Basic wire color coding. The white wire is the neutral wire. When a white wire is augmented with a red or black color marking this often indicates that it is being used as a hot wire rather than a neutral wire. The hot wire in a 120 volt residential ac circuit usually is coated with black insulation while the return or neutral wire is white.
White wires with black or red tape. Typically this is indicated with a band of black or red electrical tape but other colors may be used wrapped around the wire s insulation. The additional wire is hot but switched off at the switch. These outlets are the older version of the current type b outlet.
The neutral wire is connected to an earth ground. The copper wire is called the ground wire because it is connected to the earth either directly or through another grounded conductor. Under those conditions a black wire should be always hot and always on. The neutral wire forms a live circuit along with the hot wire.
Electrical convention and the national electric code prescribe these colors as described on the international municipal signal association website. It provides the return path for the current provided by the hot wire. Type b was created to provide a connection for an electrical safety system. The white wire goes to the white metal screws on an electrical outlet.