In a typical three-wire AC power cord, which color is the Neutral wire?

In a typical three-wire AC power cord, which color is the Neutral wire?

• A. Red
• B. Black
• C. White
• D. Green

Answer: (C)

In typical three-wire AC cords, the color coding clearly identifies each conductor: the black wire is the hot (live) conductor, the white wire is the neutral, and the green wire is the protective earth ground. The neutral returns current back to the source and is tied to earth at the service panel, so it sits at or near earth potential. That white color is how it’s recognized as the neutral, which is why White is the correct choice. Red can appear as a second hot in some circuits, and green is reserved for grounding, not neutral.

In typical three-wire AC cords, the color coding clearly identifies each conductor: the black wire is the hot (live) conductor, the white wire is the neutral, and the green wire is the protective earth ground. The neutral returns current back to the source and is tied to earth at the service panel, so it sits at or near earth potential. That white color is how it’s recognized as the neutral, which is why White is the correct choice. Red can appear as a second hot in some circuits, and green is reserved for grounding, not neutral.