Under normal conditions, the voltage on a neutral conductor is typically close to what value?

• A. High voltage
• B. Near zero volts
• C. Exactly 120V
• D. Varies with load unpredictably

Answer: (B)

Under normal operation the neutral conductor is bonded to earth ground at the service equipment, so it sits at ground potential. That means the voltage of the neutral with respect to ground is effectively zero. In practice, there can be a tiny voltage difference due to the resistance of the neutral wire carrying return current (I times the wire’s resistance), and this small IR drop can vary slightly with load and length of run. But overall, the neutral voltage relative to ground stays very close to zero. High voltage is not correct because neutral is not meant to carry the line voltage, and exactly 120 V is not correct for neutral to ground. Saying it varies unpredictably isn’t accurate because it’s governed by predictable voltage drop from current flow, not random fluctuation.