i have a charger plug that i can easily plug into a extension cord backwards, without the earth connected. just curious about what it could do if i actually plug it in
In: Technology
It depends. In some cases, nothing. Most devices that use a DC charger will work just fine. The ground is there to protect in case of something going wrong. That said, some devices will look for ground and may throw error messages or refuse to work without a ground.
Grounds are there for your safety too.
Now, plugging it backwards can be pretty bad. Say the device uses AC and also has a metal casing. If the casing is bonded to the neutral prong, by plugging it backwards, you just made the metal parts “live”.
If you touch the metal and for some reason you become the best path to ground, you will get one heck of a shock.
Grounds are there for a reason most of the time. It is one of those things where you do not mess with them unless you absolutely know what you’re doing.
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