In a 120/240-volt, 1Ø, 3-wire panel where each ungrounded conductor carries 16 amps, how many amps will the neutral in Conduit A carry?

In a 120/240-volt, single-phase, three-wire panel, the current flowing through the ungrounded conductors can be analyzed based on how the load is organized. In this case, if both ungrounded conductors are being used and each is carrying 16 amps, the currents will have a certain phase relationship to each other.

When loads are balanced across the two ungrounded conductors, the neutral conductor carries the unbalanced load current. Since this particular scenario indicates each ungrounded conductor is carrying equal amounts of current (16 amps), the currents will effectively cancel each other out in the neutral.

In this situation, one ungrounded conductor supplies power to one load, while the other supplies power to a second load. If both loads are identical and balanced, the net effect on the neutral is zero because the current returning from both ungrounded conductors is equal and opposite. Therefore, the neutral does not carry any net current, resulting in it carrying 0 amps.

This concept is foundational in understanding how current flows in a multi-wire branch circuit, where balanced loads ensure that the neutral conductor does not carry any current when loads are symmetrical.