How many wires can you run off one outlet?

Answer 1

Matters how many it has on it.

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A properly wired receptical will only have one black, one white and one ground wire attached to it. These wires will be pig tailed from the incoming and outgoing cables that are located in the receptical's junction box. The ground wire that is spliced with a pig tail connection also will first goes to the ground screw before it is terminated to the receptical's green ground screw. The reason for splicing the wires this way is to prevent opening the circuit neutral if and when you have to change the receptical for a new one. The same neutral can be used as the common wire from another breaker that might not be turned off when you shut the breaker off to change out the receptacle that needs repllacing. Opening the neutral from another circuit will have that breakers voltage on it. If your body gets between the open neutral and a ground you will receive a sever shock from the current that the other circuit's load is carrying.