If you only have one cable in the device box then the switch outlet is likely wired as a switch leg drop. Wiring a single pole light switch here a single pole switch controls the power to a light fixture.
Light Switch Wiring Diagram Light Switch Wiring House
Wiring a light switch common. These are called terminal screws. The most common requirement of any hardwired automated light switch is a neutral wire. If you have one then you can find it on either the hot wire or the switch leg. For those of us using led fluorescent or some other energy efficient bulbs under 20w a neutral is required. When youre wiring decorative light switches such as chrome or stainless steel etc youll find that the switch will also have an l2 terminal which means its a two way switch. The most common light switch is the single pole light switch.
The other terminal is marked as l1 and is the output to the light fixture. This is the wire running directly to the actual fixture whether it be a light or a lamp or any other type of electrical switch for an appliance. However at this second switch the common screw terminal is connected to a black hot wire that leads onward to the light fixture. Yes there are a few read very very very few switches that dont require a neutral but those will limit you to incandescent only. The 1 pole light switch will have two terminals on it and possibly a third terminal that is a ground connection. You should also see a green wire called a ground wire which.
The source is at the switch and 2 wire cable runs from there to the light. You should see two black wires each connecting to a different screw on the right side of the switch. The common is for the live wire that supplies the input voltage to the switch. The source hot wire is connected to a switch terminal and the other terminal is connected to the black cable wire. Once again the white neutral wires are simply joined together and the grounding wires are joined together with pigtails connecting the switch and to the box if it is metal. The common wire is located on a 3 way switch.