IBEW IBEW Aptitude Test Electrical Fundamentals Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What color is the neutral wire in a standard US household electrical circuit?
- Black
- Red
- White (Correct answer)
- Green
Correct answer: White
In US residential wiring, the white wire is neutral, black is hot, and green or bare copper is the ground.
Question 2: A GFCI outlet is designed primarily to protect against:
- Power surges
- Ground faults (Correct answer)
- Short circuits
- Circuit overloads
Correct answer: Ground faults
A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) detects small ground fault currents and trips within milliseconds to prevent electrocution.
Question 3: What does AWG stand for in electrical wiring?
- Alternating Wire Gauge
- American Wire Gauge (Correct answer)
- Ampere Wiring Guide
- Advanced Wiring Grade
Correct answer: American Wire Gauge
American Wire Gauge (AWG) is the standardized system used in the US to indicate the diameter and current-carrying capacity of wire.
Question 4: In a parallel circuit with two 10Ω resistors, what is the total resistance?
- 20Ω
- 10Ω
- 5Ω (Correct answer)
- 0.5Ω
Correct answer: 5Ω
For two equal resistors in parallel, total resistance = R/2, so 10Ω ÷ 2 = 5Ω.
Question 5: The standard single-phase outlet voltage in a US residential building is:
- 12V
- 24V
- 120V (Correct answer)
- 480V
Correct answer: 120V
Standard US residential outlets supply 120V at 60Hz, provided by a single hot wire and a neutral wire.
Question 6: The green or bare copper wire in electrical wiring serves as the:
- Hot wire
- Neutral wire
- Ground wire (Correct answer)
- Load wire
Correct answer: Ground wire
The green or bare copper wire is the equipment ground, providing a safe path for fault current to prevent electric shock.
What color is the neutral wire in a standard US household electrical circuit?