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The screws and outlet boxes were either connected to the neutral, or connected to nothing. Only in some jurisdictions where 2-wire non-metallic cable was restricted and armored cable was required (and still in good condition), do cheater plugs work safely as intended.
In older plug designs both blades were the same width, so the plug could be inserted into the receptacle either way around. Many plugs manufactured since 1948 are polarized ; the neutral blade is 5 ⁄ 16 in or 7.9 mm wide, 1 ⁄ 16 in or 1.6 mm wider than the line blade, so the plug can be inserted only one way.
The term plug is in general and technical use in all forms of English, common alternatives being power plug, [1] electric plug, [2] and (in the UK) plug top. [3] The normal technical term (in both British and International English) for an AC power socket is socket-outlet , [ 4 ] but in non-technical common use a number of other terms are used.
Most electrical connectors have a gender – i.e. the male component, called a plug, connects to the female component, or socket. Thousands of configurations of connectors are manufactured for power, data, and audiovisual applications. [3] Electrical connectors can be divided into four basic categories, differentiated by their function: [4]
A plug is the connector attached to an electrically-operated device, often via a cable. A socket (also known as a receptacle or outlet) is fixed in place, often on the internal walls of buildings, and is connected to an AC electrical circuit. Inserting ("plugging in") the plug into the socket allows the device to draw power from this circuit.
The plug sides are shaped to improve grip and make it easier to remove the plug from a socket-outlet. [55] The plug is polarised, so that the fuse is in the line side of the supply. [56] The flexible cord always enters the plug from the bottom, discouraging removal by tugging on the cable, which can damage the cable. [57]
A North American power strip with two USB power ports that includes a built in surge protector. A power strip (also known as a multi-socket, power board and many other variations [a]) is a block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable (typically with a mains plug on the other end), allowing multiple electrical devices to be powered from a single electrical socket.
When a generic power outlet was desired, the wiring could run directly into the junction box through a tube of protective loom and a ceramic bushing. Wiring devices such as light switches, receptacle outlets, and lamp sockets were either surface-mounted, suspended, or flush-mounted within walls and ceilings.