{"id":23424,"date":"2020-12-21T01:17:44","date_gmt":"2020-12-21T01:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=23424"},"modified":"2020-12-22T02:48:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T02:48:55","slug":"why-do-different-countries-have-different-electric-outlet-plugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/why-do-different-countries-have-different-electric-outlet-plugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do different countries have different electric outlet plugs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theodore J. Kury<\/a>, University of Florida<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Curious Kids<\/a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you\u2019d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Why do different countries have different electric outlet plugs? \u2013 Evie H., age 9, Seattle, Washington<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

You find yourself in an airport or hotel room in another country, and you really need to charge your phone, camera or game system. But what is that strange-looking outlet? It has round holes! And there are two? Or three? What\u2019s going on here? Why doesn\u2019t this country use the same plugs that I use back home?<\/p>\n

The short answer is that the systems that deliver electricity to homes around the world have been built by thousands of people over the last 140 years. And they\u2019re not finished yet. Around the world, about 750 million people \u2013 one out of every 10<\/a> \u2013 still don\u2019t have access to electricity. But for the 90% who do, there are 15 different types<\/a> of domestic electrical outlet plugs in use around the globe.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a>
Three of the 15 major types of electric plugs in use around the world. Letters are assigned by the U.S. Department of Commerce and are for identification only.<\/span>
\nWorldstandards.eu<\/a>, CC BY-ND<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To understand why electric outlets aren\u2019t all the same, you need to know how a plug works. In the U.S., the slot on the right side of an electrical outlet is called the \u201chot\u201d side and the slot on the left is \u201cneutral.\u201d When you plug in a lamp and turn it on, it completes a circuit<\/a> that allows electric current to flow and light the lamp. The current flows from the \u201chot\u201d side through the lamp and back to the \u201cneutral\u201d side.<\/p>\n

The third opening in the middle of the outlet is called the \u201cground.\u201d It helps to keep you safe from electric shock if something goes wrong with the plug, or if a wire gets loose in whatever you\u2019ve plugged in. This feature is called grounding, because if electric current escapes from the wires that normally carry it, a special set of wires leads it from the center opening to a rod buried deep in the ground.<\/p>\n

To push current through the wires, electrical systems create a pressure called voltage<\/a>. The higher the voltage, the higher the pressure. You can think of it like running water: It might be a trickle, or a stream, or a flow so fast it can knock you off your feet.<\/p>\n

Building the power grid<\/h2>\n

When inventors like Thomas Edison<\/a>, George Westinghouse<\/a> and Nikola Tesla<\/a> built the world\u2019s first modern transmission grid in the U.S. in the 1880s, the voltage delivered to homes was established at 110 volts. Most of the things that ran on electricity back then \u2013 mainly lights \u2013 worked best at 110 volts. This is still the standard in the U.S., even though actual voltages on our system tend to run a bit higher.<\/p>\n

But when people started to build power grids in other countries, they tried to make improvements. Companies in Europe realized that supplying power at 220 volts instead of 110 volts would be cheaper. At a higher voltage, electric companies can deliver the same power with less current \u2013 picture a narrow stream flowing quickly compared to a wider stream flowing slowly. And less current allows for thinner wires. Since the copper that\u2019s used for electric wires is expensive, higher voltage could save money.<\/p>\n

Round pins were another early innovation in plugs. People thought they made the plug fit more securely in the socket.<\/p>\n