Which type of conductor is intended to carry current back to the source under normal operation?

• A. Ungrounded (hot) conductor
• B. Equipment grounding conductor
• C. Grounding electrode conductor
• D. Main bonding jumper

Answer: (A)

Current returns to the source through the grounded conductor, the neutral. In a normal circuit, the hot (ungrounded) conductor carries current from the source to the load, and the current completes its path back via the neutral, which is bonded to earth at the service equipment. The equipment grounding conductor is a safety path that carries current only in fault conditions, not during normal operation. The grounding electrode conductor links the system to earth, and the main bonding jumper ties neutral to ground at the service equipment, but neither is used for normal current flow. So the conductor intended to carry current back to the source under normal operation is the neutral (grounded) conductor.