A ‘plug’ is a device that attaches to the end of an electrical cable and fits into a current electrical socket, commonly positioned in walls. The two prongs of a two-prong plug are designated as the “hot” or “live” and the “neutral,” respectively.
The current passes from the life to the neutral prongs when linked with an electric circuit. A 3-pin plug, in contrast, has a third prong that creates the triangle’s apex and is positioned above (or below) the live and neutral pins. As its name implies, the ‘ground’ prong serves to ground the appliance electrically.
What Exactly Does a “2 Pin” or “2 Pole” Refer to?
As the name implies, a 2-pin male female connector has only two prongs that carry current and is not earthed. 2-pole plugs were standard for all electrical appliances in the past, and all main sockets were designed to accommodate them.
However, the electric shock became more likely as more powerful equipment became more common. Incorporating an earth connection, typically in the form of a third pin, has alleviated this issue. Although technically incorrect, earthed plug systems are called 3-pole systems.
In addition, 2-pole plugs are intended only partially to handle strong currents. For instance, smouldering or burning can occur if more than 2.5 amperes (or more than 500 watts) are passed through a 2-pole connector. This is due to the plug pins, typically not thick enough to continually tolerate the heat created by the higher power.
For lower-powered electronics (often up to about 500 watts), 2-pole connections remain common due to their lower manufacturing cost. Earthed sockets that accommodate both 2-pole and 3-pole plugs have primarily replaced older, more inconvenient 2-pole main sockets worldwide.
What do we mean by a 3 Pin or 3 Pole?
The term “3-pole” refers to a grounded plug with a standard number of three prongs, two of which provide electricity, and the third is for safety purposes.
As was indicated up top, the risk of electric shock increased as the 1930s saw the rise of more powerful devices (often over about 500 watts). The 2-pole plugs for these appliances need an earth connection to be installed for safety purposes. This earth pin was the third prong to all standard plug configurations.
The Schuko plug is an exception to this rule; its earth connection is not embedded in the centre of the pin but rather on the side of the plug, and its contact surfaces are metal.
It is vital to remember that no protection against electric shock would exist if you severed the ground connection. All standard 3-pin plugs have an earth connection built as a leading connection, meaning it makes contact with the plug body before the other two pins do.
Meanwhile, 3-pole earthed sockets have largely supplanted their 2-pole predecessors worldwide. These sockets are compatible with both 2-pole and 3-pole plugs.
Finding the two Pole or Three-Pole Device
Discovering whether your gadget has a 2- or 3-pole socket will help you choose the appropriate adaptor. Except for a few rare cases, the distinction is readily apparent just by glancing at the plug: Plugs for 2-pole devices have two prongs, whereas those for 3-pole devices have 3.
