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Credit: NoDerog E+ Getty Images. In a three-prong plug, the neutral wire is connected through the right-handed prong, when one is looking at the plug with the ground prong on the bottom. The neutral prong is the wider of the two plugs. The ground wire is also connected to the ground to prevent short circuits. However, the neutral wire's purpose is to be part of the live path for electricity, rather than to act as a safety guard if something goes wrong. Sometimes, these two wires are mixed up, as the neutral wire is commonly referred to as the grounded wire.
1 This is because there is a specific polarity that is needed for the specific circuit components. 2  Circuit Wires and Polarity. 3  The hot wire of a 120 volt circuit is an ungrounded conductor while the neutral wire is a grounded conductor, both being current carrying conductors which is why they are insulated. Circuit Wires and Polarity. 2  The hot wire of a 120 volt circuit is an ungrounded conductor while the neutral wire is a grounded conductor, both being current carrying conductors which is why they are insulated.