What are “phases” in terms of electrical systems?

Question

I work with equipment that operates on three phase electrical circuits. I can’t get my head around the concept of “phases.”

In: 17

Answer 1

imagine electricity as a wave and there is a limit to how much of that wave you can force down a wire. But, if you could start another wave, in between when the first one starts and ends, you can get more power down the same line with less loss.