Why do some plugs have one wider prong than the other normal one while others have two normal prongs with the same size?

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What I’m talking about is, for example, a keurig coffee machine having two differently shaped prongs where one prong is bigger and wider than the other, so you have to insert the wider prong into the wider port.

However, something like a phone adapter doesn’t have this, and the two prongs are the same size and shape.

Why is this?

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14 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

One prong has 110v on it, the other prong has 0v on it and is the “return path” for the electricity.

You can make a device safer by putting the power switch on the 110v line so there is no live electricity inside the device when it’s switched off. If you had a symmetrical plug on those devices it would be 50/50 whether you plugged it in the right way to have the power switch on the 110v line or not.

But for some devices, especially ones without a power switch, it’s not a big deal so they have a symmetrical plug.

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