• LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    Some people say it does with certain devices but I’ve never had anything I’ve run into. The American outlets have been used as bi-directional in most instances. (With 2 prong). If they had a ground then you can only go in one way. But that said… Obviously a cord without a ground can still plug into an outlet that has the ground set up. If the device wants the current to go in a certain direction they use one with a slightly larger prong on one side, but if you pick up any phone charger in America, you can plug it into any outlet any direction.

    • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      Phone chargers are definitely not the appliance that’s going to have an issue switching things out. That’s going to be stuff that directly uses the AC power. Some older appliances or shittily designed ones can even become an electrocution hazard when switching live with neutral.

    • lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works
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      5 days ago

      If the device wants the current to go in a certain direction

      That’s not how AC works

      they use one with a slightly larger prong on one side,

      That’s not Ground, it’s Neutral. Neutral is sometimes bonded to Ground, but they are fundamentally different things