Introduction:
In North America, single-phase household circuits are common, while three-phase circuits are mostly used for commercial and industrial applications. The main difference between single-phase and three-phase circuits is the number of active conductors. A single-phase circuit has two active conductors, while a three-phase circuit has three active conductors.
The main advantage of three-phase circuits is that they can carry more power than single-phase circuits. This is because the three phases can be used to create a rotating magnetic field, which can be used to generate more power. Three-phase circuits are also more efficient than single-phase circuits, since they don’t have the losses associated with the single-phase circuit’s need to create a rotating magnetic field.
Three-phase circuits are mostly used for industrial applications, due to their higher power capacity and efficiency. However, single-phase circuits are still used in many household applications.