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

I compare it to singing a song like “What shall we do with the drunken sailor” but the group is split ino three, and each section starts singing a couple of bars later than the previous, creating a harmonic effect.

The three phases are all singing the same alternating current tune, but start their sinuswave at a different moment. As a result the difference in potential between two phases is larger than would be the case between a phase and a zero wire.