A Power plug connects to a matching socket. Power Plugs are mostly or completely male, while sockets are mostly or completely female; the power plug has protruding prongs or pins that fit into matching slots or holes in the socket. Generally the plug is the movable connector attached to an electrically-operated device's power code, and the socket is a fixture on equipment or a building structure. Wall-mounted sockets are also called receptacles, outlets, or power points.
To reduce the risk of electric shock, power plug and socket systems can incorporate a variety of safety features. Sockets can be designed to accept only compatible plugs and reject all others, for example, and some systems are designed such that dangerous voltage is never present on an exposed contact. Exposed contacts are present in some sockets, but are used exclusively for grounding (earthing)
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| Power plug diagram |
