{"id":9257,"date":"2023-03-06T09:11:18","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T09:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clooms.com\/?p=9257"},"modified":"2023-03-06T10:02:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T10:02:17","slug":"polarized-power-cable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clooms.com\/polarized-power-cable\/","title":{"rendered":"Polarized Power Cable: Understanding AC Polarity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>North American households have used polarized power cables and plugs as safety measures for years. Yet, not all homeowners know the difference between polarized cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, they don\u2019t know why the distinction exists. Some devices require polarized connectors to function correctly. But why?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, how can you tell the difference between polarized and non-polarized cables? The following guide will answer questions such as these and more.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"simpletoc-title\">Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"simpletoc-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#why-are-polarized-power-cables-necessary\">Why Are Polarized Power Cables Necessary?<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ac-polarization\">AC Polarization<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-identify-polarized-power-cables\">How To Identify Polarized Power Cables<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#conclusionnbspnbspnbspnbsp\">Conclusion&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-are-polarized-power-cables-necessary\"><strong>Why Are Polarized Power Cables Necessary?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Most American households use power outlets with Type A and B sockets. This is according to guidelines set by the<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Department_of_Commerce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"> U.S. Department of Commerce<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hardwarehow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1-7.jpg\" alt=\"Types of Power Outlets\" class=\"wp-image-2595\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Types of Power Outlets<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have noticed that most Type-A outlet sockets are not even in size. This is true for some connectors too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, finding plugs or connectors with identical poles\/pins is also fairly common. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most type-b power plugs have two identically sized<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clooms.com\/neutral-electrical-wire\/\"> neutral<\/a> and live prongs. This is in addition to their ground prongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But why do all these variations exist? There is a special reason for this. It mostly concerns how electricity flows through your house and devices. It&#8217;s a process people refer to as AC Polarization.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ac-polarization\"><strong>AC Polarization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The term outlet may mislead you into believing that electricity streams one way out of your power sockets. This is not the case.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you plug a device into an outlet, this creates a circuit. Thus, current flows through the live\/hot side and back into the neutral. If you reverse the polarity, the neutral carries the current instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can cause <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Short_circuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">short circuits<\/a> and other electrical hazards. The hot\/live side of the circuit usually has a switch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The connected device is always on when reversing the polarities because the neutral feeds the current.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-identify-polarized-power-cables\"><strong>How To Identify Polarized Power Cables<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>As this guide previously mentioned, you can identify a plug belonging to a polarized cable by the size of its prongs. If one prong is larger than the other, it is a polarized cable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If both type-a prongs are the same size, then it is non-polarized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most non-polarized cables do not have integrated switches. However, you must note that plugs and prongs aren\u2019t the only way to control a device&#8217;s current (polarize).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2-slot power cords with type-b or type-c prong configurations can also come in polarized varieties. Small household appliances and devices rely on these types of connectors and cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hardwarehow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-7.jpg\" alt=\"Type-b power cord\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-2594\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Type-b power cord<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This includes CD players, DVD players, gaming consoles, laptops, and camera chargers. You can identify a polarized power cord by its figure-eight type connector.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hardwarehow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/QQ\u622a\u56fe20230306161307.png\" alt=\"Figure eight\" class=\"wp-image-2593\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Figure eight<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Non-polarized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clooms.com\/power-cable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">power cables<\/a> and cords are similar to polarized cables in appearance. However, where the polarized cable has a figure-eight, its non-polarized counterpart consists of a semi-circle on top of a circle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/L3LsjC7ILbdRV7-a20JYKfYkg2IkkSu3L0TSGlZFFgGoi_nfznTpbgPkTTvou8QwiOXH_UvPICVM8HmMHPDJr0mrqkrM_jFUBfGUFceqOYIhzxyr6H4oVKECv5e_RnyKZA9Gl_lMVWc\" alt=\"non-polarized connector\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>non-polarized connector<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such polarized and non-polarized cables are not compatible with each other. As this guide covered, the shape is not the only reason. Polarization dictates the current direction and flows for safety and functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusionnbspnbspnbspnbsp\"><strong>Conclusion    <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>For your safety and the functionality of your devices, it\u2019s important to choose your power cables carefully when shopping. You must understand the configuration of both your outlet and device.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, it\u2019s better to play it safe and purchase the polarized option. Nevertheless, don\u2019t hesitate to ask me any questions about the power cables.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>North American households have used polarized power cables and plugs as safety measures for years. Yet, not all homeowners know the difference between polarized cables. Furthermore, they don\u2019t &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Polarized Power Cable: Understanding AC Polarity\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clooms.com\/polarized-power-cable\/#more-9257\" aria-label=\"Read more about Polarized Power Cable: Understanding AC Polarity\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":9258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Polarized Power Cable: Understanding AC Polarity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"North American households have used polarized power cable and plugs as safety measures for years. 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