What is the third hole in the socket for?

[GamerGry123]

What is the third hole in the socket for? This is grounding? Is it possible to use the device without it?

[Wyzzy Moon]

What socket? Just wall outlet? Yes than the 3th is ground and you can use something without it

[Turbokees]

I'm assuming you're talking about 120/240v cables? The third pin is probably used for grounding, yes. It helps if you specify the cable and device you're planning on using it with.

[SupaKomputa]

Electrical socket? yes for grounding, it is possible to use without.

[Chris Pratt]

Yes. It's a ground. You can use a plug without it, because it doesn't actually supply power, but that means that device, then, is not grounded. However, this mostly only matters with things that have the potential to electrocute you, such as toasters and heaters with exposed coils or outdoor appliances susceptible to getting wet.

 

[Turbokees]

8 minutes ago, GamerGry123 said:

What is the third hole in the socket for? This is grounding? Is it possible to use the device without it?

Did you mean this sort of socket? The middle pin is used for grounding here. Using an ungrounded plug may not fit depending on what you're using. However, plugging it into an ungrounded wall socket will (usually) not affect function of the device.

[Arrogath]

Does he mean the hole in the cpu socket? that’s for thermocouples to measure beneath the cpu when using ln2 

[GamerGry123]

10 hours ago, Turbokees said:

I'm assuming you're talking about 120/240v cables? The third pin is probably used for grounding, yes. It helps if you specify the cable and device you're planning on using it with.

Yes, this is the cable, but what is this ground for? What does it give? I do not have a grounded socket with the third cable and I noticed that on the laptop I touch the metal flap, it feels like a day because the current has accumulated because there is no grounding?

 

[GamerGry123]

10 hours ago, Chris Pratt said:

Yes. It's a ground. You can use a plug without it, because it doesn't actually supply power, but that means that device, then, is not grounded. However, this mostly only matters with things that have the potential to electrocute you, such as toasters and heaters with exposed coils or outdoor appliances susceptible to getting wet.

 

So it is better to use a vacuum cleaner or an iron with grounding?

[GamerGry123]

10 hours ago, Turbokees said:

Did you mean this sort of socket? The middle pin is used for grounding here. Using an ungrounded plug may not fit depending on what you're using. However, plugging it into an ungrounded wall socket will (usually) not affect function of the device.

I mean it. But on a laptop, when you touch the metal cover while charging, it feels like something virginal. Why?

[Hackentosher]

As others have stated, in typical US outlets, the middle pin is a ground connected to Earth. Generally it's useful bc if something fucks up inside the device, the hot wire will short to ground and route current to ground instead of through something that could start a fire, or your body. The reason why we can't just use the neutral pin is a bit more complicated and has some pre-requisite knowledge associated with it. If you'd like to know more about that, I'd recommend watching this video.