How do extension cables or power strips supply power for 3 plugs if they’re only plugged into 1 outlet?

Question

How do extension cables or power strips supply power for 3 plugs if they’re only plugged into 1 outlet?

In: 35

Answer 1

If a power strip has 3 plugs, those three still can’t add up to more than the one outlet can provide. The function of the power strip is just to provide more physical space for plugging things in. Like phone chargers and old laptops with those bulky blocks at the plug. Each one may only use 5% of the power the outlet can provide, so the limitation is physical space if one of those blocks occupies 1 or even 2 outlets and prevents you plugging anything else in. So instead you plug in a power strip to the outlet. This does not provide any more capacity to deliver power. This provides physical space to plug in more things to whatever capacity that 1 outlet already had.

You still can’t operate things off the strip that add up to using more power than 1 outlet can provide.