Eli5: What’s the difference between a single phase electric current versus a 3 phased one?
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So step 1, we explain AC current.
AC current, the stuff in your house, is alternating current. What’s it alternating you ask? Well voltage of course. Going from 0 volts to 120 volts (or 220 in Europe) 60 time a second (or 50 in Europe).
This is basically 1 wire going zap 60 times a second. This is what powers your lights, your blender, and your fridge.
An easy way to imagine this is imagine you have a wheel, that has a magnet at one point. Then on the ground is another magnet. When these 2 magnets get nearer, the voltage increases. Further apart? Decreases. Spin the wheel at 60 times a second.
Now similarly 3 phase power zaps 60 times a second. So take our wheel, but make it thicker. Put 3 magnets spaced along the thickness, 120 degrees apart. Then 3 magnets in a row on the ground (like a music box). Now every time you spin the wheel, there will be 3 times spaced out when there is a magnet passing another magnet. This is 3 phase power.
It’s primary application is motors. This is because you can alternate the windings of a motor to spin the shaft every 120 degrees. This essentially turns a motor that receives a pulse at 60 times a second to spin, to recieving a pulse 180 times a second. Much faster.
Hope my analogy comes across well
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