I'm new to these things, but AC to me doesn't mean the black wire swings 120v rms above and 120v rms below ground (I know it does from "ground's" point of view), but instead conventional current comes out on "black" and returns on "white" and then comes out on "white" and returns on "black" 60 times a second. Is that right or am I just way off beam here?
Thanks for any help you can offer because I read things like, "The white wire is the return. It carries current, but has no voltage."
I know they must mean "no voltage relative to ground", but they never say that and to call the white the return only, makes me think that I don't understand AC at all.
I think I understand how most, if not all, people refer to the hot vs neutral wire (they see it as in reference to ground), but my "misunderstanding" is that I believe that this is a convenient way to look at AC, but not reality.
I will try to say what I understand and would very much appreciate it if someone could tell me where I am wrong:
Theoretically, there is a spinning wire in a magnetic field that emerges from some turbine as two ends of the same wire (no load connected). These two ends alternate in a push-pull of electric potential. If neither of these ends were grounded then they would indistinguishable, but a load could be put across them and current would flow back and forth with neither one considered the source or return or better yet, one is the source and one the return and then they switch roles. Now, in our AC system, one is earth grounded for safety and so it is color coded white, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a source 60 times per second just as the black wire is.
Is that right? And if it is, why do people always say the hot wire is sourcing positive and then negative current? I understand there is nothing wrong with saying this in reference to ground, but I thought most people are taught to follow conventional current, which would be the flow of positive charge, which to me means seeing it come from one side of the turbine and the coming from the other side.
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help you can offer because I read things like, "The white wire is the return. It carries current, but has no voltage."
I know they must mean "no voltage relative to ground", but they never say that and to call the white the return only, makes me think that I don't understand AC at all.
I think I understand how most, if not all, people refer to the hot vs neutral wire (they see it as in reference to ground), but my "misunderstanding" is that I believe that this is a convenient way to look at AC, but not reality.
I will try to say what I understand and would very much appreciate it if someone could tell me where I am wrong:
Theoretically, there is a spinning wire in a magnetic field that emerges from some turbine as two ends of the same wire (no load connected). These two ends alternate in a push-pull of electric potential. If neither of these ends were grounded then they would indistinguishable, but a load could be put across them and current would flow back and forth with neither one considered the source or return or better yet, one is the source and one the return and then they switch roles. Now, in our AC system, one is earth grounded for safety and so it is color coded white, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a source 60 times per second just as the black wire is.
Is that right? And if it is, why do people always say the hot wire is sourcing positive and then negative current? I understand there is nothing wrong with saying this in reference to ground, but I thought most people are taught to follow conventional current, which would be the flow of positive charge, which to me means seeing it come from one side of the turbine and the coming from the other side.
Thanks for any help.