Download Article Show Download Article When you're dealing with electrical wiring, it's important to know which is positive and which is negative—but how are you supposed to tell them apart? The easiest way to tell is by looking at the color, but the colors mean different things depending on what kind of power is being used. Don't worry, it's not as confusing as it sounds! We're going to explain everything you need to know so you can correctly identify positive and negative electrical wires no matter what you're working on. Things You Should Know
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Advertisement ReferencesAbout This ArticleArticle SummaryX If you want to identify positive and negative wires, keep in mind that appliance plugs have hot wires and neutral sites, rather than positive and negative sides. However, if you're using an extension cord, the positive wire will be the smooth one, while the negative wire will have a ribbed or grooved texture. To find the right wires on a speaker, check to see which colors you have. For example, negative silver wires are paired with positive gold wires. Alternatively, if you have a black wire, it'll be negative if the other wire is red, or positive if the other wire is striped. For more tips, like how to use a digital multimeter to identify positive and negative wires, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 773,180 times. Reader Success Stories
If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Did this article help you?What color is positive and what color is negative?There are also positive and negative cables in the jumper cable set. The red one is positive (+), the black one is negative (-). Never connect the red cable to the negative battery terminal or a vehicle with a dead battery.
How do you know which wire is positive and negative?If you have a wire where both sides are the same color, which is typically copper, the strand that has a grooved texture is the negative wire. Run your fingers along the wire to determine which side has the ribbing. The smooth wire is the positive wire.
What are the wire color codes?U.S. Electrical Wiring Color Codes. Phase 1 - Black.. Phase 2 - Red.. Phase 3 - Blue.. Neutral - White.. Ground - Green, Green with Yellow Stripe, or Bare Wire.. |