State the basic NEC color code for conductors: hot, neutral, and ground.

• A. Hot = black (often red or blue for second hot); Neutral = white (gray); Ground = green or bare.
• B. Hot = blue; Neutral = black; Ground = yellow.
• C. Hot = white; Neutral = green; Ground = red.
• D. Hot = brown; Neutral = gray; Ground = orange.

Answer: (A)

Color coding helps you identify conductor roles quickly to keep circuits safe and properly wired. The hot (current-carrying) conductors are normally black, with red or blue used for additional hot conductors in multi-hot circuits. The neutral conductor, which returns current, is typically white (gray can be used in some cases). The ground (safety path) conductor is green or bare copper.

So the mapping hot = black (often red or blue for extra hots), neutral = white (gray as an option), and ground = green or bare matches the standard NEC conventions. The other color schemes don’t align with these common NEC assignments (blue as the main hot, white as hot, or ground shown as yellow, for example).