Eli5: What’s the difference between a single phase electric current versus a 3 phased one?

Question

Eli5: What’s the difference between a single phase electric current versus a 3 phased one?

In: 18

Answer 1

Ok so single phase current is *alternating current* (AC), that means you have one live wire that is changing from positive to negative 60 (or 50 in some places) times per second.

Then you have 2 phase current, where you have 2 live wires that are the opposite charge to each other. When one positive the other is negative etc.

Then 3 phase, the timing is more complex where each goes positive and negative in sequence.

As well as just having 3x the power, a fun use for 3 phase electricity is linking it directly to a motor and because the positive and negative go in a set sequence the motor will turn at a really precise speed, and the motor can be made simpler as well.