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In electrical wiring, colors indicate the function of a conductor. A black colored wire is used for the hot (live) conductor, which carries voltage from the power source to the load. The neutral is typically white, returning current to the source, and the ground is green or bare, providing a safety path. Sometimes a black wire can serve as a switched hot in a circuit controlled by a switch, and in multi-hot setups you might see red used for the additional hot, but the general rule is that black signifies a hot conductor. Always treat black as potentially energized and verify with a tester before working.