Regarding power cabling, what is the minimum number of wires in a factory configured power whip?

Question

Options

• A2 wires -- one hot and one ground
• B5 wires -- two hot, two neutral, and one ground
• C3 wires -- one hot, one neutral, and one ground
• D4 wires -- two hot, one neutral, and one ground

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  16% (7)
• C
  74% (32)
• D
  7% (3)

Explanation

A factory configured power whip requires at minimum 3 wires because a complete, safe electrical circuit needs a path to deliver current (hot), a path to return current (neutral), and a safety ground to protect against faults. Option A is wrong because omitting the neutral means there is no return path for current under normal load, making the circuit non-functional. Option D describes a 240V single-phase configuration with two hots sharing one neutral, which is a specific higher-voltage arrangement, not the minimum baseline. Option B describes an even more elaborate multi-wire configuration that goes well beyond the minimum needed.

Memory tip: Picture a standard three-prong wall plug -- hot, neutral, ground. That three-wire arrangement is the simplest safe power connection, and a power whip is built on that same minimum foundation.

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