Hi, guys. Newbie here. And I have to start out with a question that has very little to do with electronics; it's all about wiring my workshop. I've arrived at a crossroads and I'm a bit stumped...

OK, so Alternating Current (AC) in the United States is wired to a standard 120V application (outlet, lamp socket, etc.) with a hot wire (black), a netural wire (white) and a ground wire (bare). Easy enough. So why is it that a 240V application (like a clothes dryer, air conditioner, etc.) can be wired with 2 hot wires and the bare ground, with NO neutral wire whatever?

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