Questions -n- Answers?

If you were looking for Teletech Service Company, Click Here.

http://wizardsixtysix.com/images/bkgnd/divider.gif

First off,I would like to thank everybody out there for supporting teletechsvc on it's new direction. My email runuth over!
I'll try and pick out some of the more relevant questions and post them on this page. Or, save yourself the trouble and bookmark the Sitemap page instead.

Question #1
I need help from someone who knows electrical wiring correctly. Ok. I have a 3 prong AC cord and I'm connecting the three prong (grounded) end to it.

The white and black are the plus and minus of the AC (alternating between + and - @ 60 hz). Here are my questions:

1) The green wire is the ground wire for the round third prong? Correct? Only makes sense since the other two are the semi-standard black and white.

2) Which of the black and white do I wire to each of the polarized flat sockets? Does it matter?
I imagine not since its AC, Black or White to either of the large or small socket slots?
Just pick one?

It does make a difference.
It's the white, wide plug that's neutral, not the black wire.
The black wire is hot (in the US, anyway).
The reason it makes a difference is that all white wires should lead to ground. If you were to reverse the white and black wires on, say, a table lamp, then if you were to unscrew the light bulb half-way to expose part of the metal base, that exposed base would be connected to a hot wire instead of to ground.
If you were to touch the metal base of the bulb while it's halfway in the socket, it could be deadly if you've swapped the white and black wires. If not, it should be perfectly safe. (Not that I recommend changing a light bulb with the lamp plugged in and turned on, but you gotta design for the extremes.)

Black=gold screw=short slot=hot

White=silver screw=long slot=nuetral

[Edit: It's even worse than that.
If you reverse the black and white wires, then the exposed base of a half-installed bulb will be hot even if the lamp's switch is turned off.]

http://wizardsixtysix.com/images/bkgnd/divider-end.gif

Questions -n- Answers?
SiteMap