The hot wire in a typical 120 volt circuit is

Sounds like a test question for which you may have not paid attention to in class. Here is a clue, it isn't white.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Sounds like a test question for which you may have not payed attention to in class. Here is a clue, it isn't white.

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Great answer!

They make pretty simple inexspensive test for determining which leg in a system is hot but normally it is black.

White --> Nuetral
Black --> Hot
Green/Bare Copper --> Ground

That is the case most of the time. Could be different though. Your best bet is to buy one of the pen testers and check it that way.

Aaron

Well, depends on the country your in.
The one with voltage with respect to ground.
Depends on who wired it.

All answers are right.

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Originally Posted by robarobert8

the hot wire in a typical 120 volt circuit is

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The ONLY correct answer to this extremely vague question is:

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Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

The one with voltage with respect to ground.

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Sounds like a Home Inspector test question.

The advice:

"I always learned that to find the hot wire you just tap it on a metal screwdriver. If the lights go out it was hot."

Is dangerous, and irresponsible advice to give to a layperson.

EDITED

The comment I referred to apparently was removed by the original poster voluntarily.

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Originally Posted by tkrussell

Sounds like a Home Inspector test question.

The advice:

"I always learned that to find the hot wire you just tap it on a metal screwdriver. If the lights go out it was hot."

is dangerous, and irresponsible advice to give to a layperson.

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One time my boss decided he would locate a breaker by using the "shorting screwdriver" method. Only it blew the end right off the screw driver, and he saw dots for the rest of the day. How does this happen on a simple 120 volt circuit?

Well, this circuit turned out not be fused. Yup. That's what I said. After an investigation into the old school (where we were at), the 12 gauge wire went into the incoming of a 30 AMP disconnect, we followed that wire, which went to the incoming side of a large 3 phase fused disconnect. It's been a few years now, but I think it had three large fuses in it, I forget the amperage, but the fuses were about 1 inch around and about 6 inches long.

We stopped there and had facilities come and take care of the problem, but I can only guess that that one circuit probably went all the way to the boiler room, and who knows, maybe to the transformer.

Anyone who 'shorts out' circuits has yet to attain professional status.