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How many prongs does a standard electrical plug have in the UK?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Electrical plugs in the UK have 3 prongs, similarly to the US. A Hot, a Neutral and a Ground (earth).
The Ground prong, if present, is a bit longer than the others so it makes contact first when inserted into a socket. The other two prongs are partially insulated near the base of the plug. These are both safety features. As the longer ground pin makes contact first, it is less likely to fault. The partially insulated pins make it less likely someone might touch a conductive surface when inserting or removing a plug.
A longer answer
The UK and Republic of Ireland use a power outlet plug and socket system which is totally different to the rest of Europe:
- All power socket outlets are rated at 13 amps to take a standard 13 amp plug.
- Each power socket has a protective insulated shutter that safely uncovers the live (or hot) and neutral holes when the plug of an appliance is inserted. The shutter immediately covers the holes over again when the plug is removed. The shutter is operated by the insertion of the earth (or ground) pin which is longer than the live and neutral pins.
- Each 13 amp plug has 3 rectangular (not round) pins: a live, a neutral and an earth pin. There is also a fuse that should be selected to be of the right size to protect the appliance it is attached-to.
- The actual plug type is known internationally as Type 'G'.
- It was designed for use on any normal house mains voltage or frequency and is used in the UK and other countries which have adopted the UK mains power plug and socket system for appliances.
It is a very good plug and socket system but not many other countries have adopted it - probably because they didn't invent it!
The Related Link shown below and the answer to the Related Question also shown below are relevant to this question.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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∙ 11y agothree
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When removing an electrical plug from its socket grasp the electrical cord?
Do not remove any electrical plug by grabbing the wire. This weakens the connection at the plug. ALWAYS grab the plug itself when removing it.
What causes a male electrical plug to weld it self to the female electrical plug plug in?
A current higher than what the plug is rated for will cause that type of condition.
In an IEC-320 plug which wire carries electrical voltage?
the hot wire carries the electrical voltage
What does eletrical mean?
In electrical/electronics, a connector is a plug or socket. They range from a single pin to many hundreds of pins, capable of carrying many hundred amps to a few milliamps.
What is 13 amp plug?
It's the standard Type 'G' 3-pin plug used in the UK for electrical equipment and appliances. It should always contain a cartridge fuse of the right size to match the current or "amperage" drawn by the equipment/appliance it is supplying with power. Standard fuses to fit the plug are available in 13 amp, 5 amp, 3 amp and 1 amp sizes. For more information see the Related Link and the answer to the Related Question shown below.
What purpose do three prongs serve on an electrical plug?
One is live, one neutral, and one earthed.
Why are the metal prongs of a plug sealed in plastic and rubber?
why are metal prongs of a plug sealed in plastic and rubber
What type of material is inside the holes in the outlet?
Inside the "holes" are springy brass fingers that grip the plug prongs when you insert the wall plug, making connection with your home's electrical system.
What is the meant by a three-pronged plug?
A plug with three prongs.
What does it mean when the prongs on an electric plug turned black after a spark?
It means that there has been an electrical short and that the house wiring, the plug and the device need to be inspected by a qualified electrician before they are used again.
Will a flat screen television purchased in South Africa work in western Canada?
No. First off, South Africa has a 220-volt, 50Hz electrical system that uses a plug with 3 round prongs, while Canada has a 115-volt, 60Hz electrical system with 2 flat prongs or 2 flat prongs plus a U-shaped ground. Further, Canada uses the NTSC television standard, while South Africa uses the PAL standard. The two systems work differently, so even if you got the TV to operate electrically, it would not be able to receive or interpret Canadian signals, either broadcast or cable.
What is an example of the word 'prong' in a sentence?
A fork has prongs at the end of it. (Actually a fork has tines. A plug has prongs.)
What do you name where you plug in a plug?
A wall socket (either switched or unswitched) is the place into which the prongs of a plug is plugged in.
Why are the metal prongs of a plug sealed in plastic or rubber?
to stop them from moving
Why are the metal prongs of a plug sealed in plastic?
Plastic insulates the prongs from one another, yet is hard enough to keep them at the proper distance to be put into the wall outlet and allow a person to grip the plug.
How do you remove super glue from electrical plug?
Pull the plug first. Now if glue is on a plastic part, rub it with a rag and Goof Off, it will soon soften and be peelable. If on a metal part,like one of the prongs, just scrape it off with a craft knife.
Do you need a plug converter with 2 or 3 prongs from your North American plug into a Australian socket?
What you need to worry about more than if the plug fits is that the voltage is correct. If you are in the US and about to plug something into a standard(US) socket make sure it either accepts 110V current or that is equipped to transform 110 into whatever it needs.
