Live wire- bring current to appliancesNeutral wire- returns the current from the applianceMy question is, if we are using AC current, then in the next half cycle, the live wire will return the current from the appliance and the neutral wire will bring current to appliances. Am I right? If I’m right, then both wires have the same function why give them different names? Really appreciate your help.
You are right technically. However, with AC, the convention is that the current always flows from the hot to the neutral. Yes, we know it reverses every half cycle, but for the convention, just consider it always flowing from the hot to neutral. The difference between the two wires is that the neutral is at ground potential, or within a few volts of it, whereas the hot is 120 or 240 volts away from ground. Another example, a 240 volts split phase power to an electric oven. In this case, there are two hot wires, each at a potential of 120 volts from ground or neutral, but opposite in phase, so the current flows from one hot to the other hot. Again, it reverses twice per cycle.
I wish I could give you a more technical answer, but here is a simple one: The change in potential or voltage changes (in AC) from positive to negative in the hot wire. The neutral has NOT change in potential. The voltage is always 0. Put another way, If you put an appliance between a ground and another ground, no current will flow. If you put an appliance between a hot and a neutral, current will flow. If you put an appliance between two hot wires, current may or may not flow, depending on other factors.
The live wire pushes the load (or the live wire connects the source to your load) and neutral wire goes from the load to ground (or back to source). So do not think about the alternating nature of AC but how the wires are connected and which one is pushing the load. Another way to think about it is the power flows from the generator to your house, through your panel, into your appliances then back. If you touch the live wire then electricity can flow through you to ground (bypassing the load). But, if you were to grab the neutral wire you will not be shocked because the current takes the path of least resistance, which is through the wire to ground and not through you. So, although the neutral wire can have the same power flow as the live wire you will not get shocked because you are on the other side of the load. Hope that helps you.
Actually neutral wire remains at some constant voltage and change in direction of flow of current only occurs in live wire, the voltage live wire at any given time is measured wrt neutral wire, thus neural wire's only function is to provide a reference voltage as u may know voltage is relative, for example if ur home has 110V supply, the neutral wire will remain at some constant voltage all time but live wires voltage will change from plus110V to minus 110V very rapidly depending on frequency of supply....
