I have always been puzzled by the fact that even though Alternating
Current is delivered to a house, we consider one wire, usually the
black wire, "hot" and white wire "neutral." Why is it that if the
current is alternating through the house, that the black wire is
considered the hot wire? It seems to me that if the same wire is always
hot (when the current is flowing), the current is acting as direct
current. If the current is alternating within the house, why wouldn't
the black wire be hot on one cycle and the white wire by hot on the
next/return cycle?

Thanks!