The white wire is loosely connected or not connected somewhere between where you are testing and the source. The first place I would look is a loose screw on the white conductor in the panel.
You don't say "turn off" or turn on". Light should be connected black to black and white to white and ground to ground. If you connect white to ground it will work, but you are then using the ground wire for an unintended purpose. Neutral is bonded to Ground at the panel. Current on ground wire could cause ground loops and may cause GFCI to trip if you have them in your house.
It depends on the color coding standards for what country you are in. In the US, the answer is no. The Neutral (white wire) is grounded at the service entrance to the building. The black wire should have roughly the same voltage to the neutral and to the ground. Something to be aware of: If you are using a meter and checking for continuity between the black wire and ground, it may tell you that they have continuity if the breaker is on.
To answer this question fully the type of appliance has to be stated and its voltage.
Ground
I am guessing that your 3 wires are black (hot), white (neutral) and bare or green wire (ground). Connect black to black, white to white and ground wire to the metal case of swag kit.
You don't say "turn off" or turn on". Light should be connected black to black and white to white and ground to ground. If you connect white to ground it will work, but you are then using the ground wire for an unintended purpose. Neutral is bonded to Ground at the panel. Current on ground wire could cause ground loops and may cause GFCI to trip if you have them in your house.
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.A test meter across black and ground in a 120/240 split phase system should read about 120 volts. Note, however, that ground is not the correct reference point; neutral is the correct reference point, and the meter should be connected across black and white, or red and white, or red and black. This is because the ground connection is a protective earth ground, not intended to carry current. Since ground and neutral are tied together at the distribution panel, you might expect them to have no potential difference, but impedance in the conductors will result in a voltage drop across neutral, biasing the voltage seen between hot and ground, as opposed to hot and neutral.
No.
It depends on the color coding standards for what country you are in. In the US, the answer is no. The Neutral (white wire) is grounded at the service entrance to the building. The black wire should have roughly the same voltage to the neutral and to the ground. Something to be aware of: If you are using a meter and checking for continuity between the black wire and ground, it may tell you that they have continuity if the breaker is on.
To answer this question fully the type of appliance has to be stated and its voltage.
No, the white should be approximately zero and the black approximately 110-120, assuming the "bare ground" refers to a bare conductor attached to electrical ground.
Ground
from salt white to coal black
The bald-faced hornet is a black and white hornet that you can find hovering close to the ground. These hornets are common across the United States.
I am guessing that your 3 wires are black (hot), white (neutral) and bare or green wire (ground). Connect black to black, white to white and ground wire to the metal case of swag kit.
If you are connecting 120 volts, you connect the black wire to the breaker, white wire to the neutral bar, and ground wire to the ground bar. If you are connecting 240 volts connect the black & white wires to the breaker, & ground wire to the ground bar.
It is very rare to have three-phase electricity coming into a residence. One of the wires is probably the neutral (It will be white or black with white stripes.) The ground comes in from a ground rod near the main, and connects to the ground coming from the meter, AND (If the main fuse box is the first disconnecting means,) the neutral and ground bars have to be bonded together in the box.