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Why are plugs different in different countries around the world?

Why do you need to bring an adapter when you go abroad? Because most of the countries in the world are for political independence or standardization issues? Here are the answers for you

 

Western media said that people who travel abroad often know that in addition to passports and credit cards, there is one more thing that is necessary for luggage, that is, a power outlet adapter suitable for the destination country. Why don't all countries in the world have a unified plug and socket?

 

According to a report on the website of the Spanish newspaper El Pais on February 26, the International Electrotechnical Commission pointed out that there are 15 different types of plugs in the world, and the voltages of different countries are different. If you want to use electronic devices abroad, you often encounter the problem that the plugs and sockets do not fit.

 

A lot of people thought it was a big hassle. The plugs in Spain are C and F, and in Brazil, they are replaced with N, while Mexico uses A and B.

 

According to the report, sockets were born in a world that has not yet been globalized, which is the main reason for the inconsistency of plug models around the world. Pablo Mayor de Brescia, a spokesman for the Spanish Association for Standardization, pointed out that the original concept of the plug was proposed by the American inventor Harvey Hubbell. He invented the detachable connector plug, which he patented in 1904.

 

Founded in 1906, the International Electrotechnical Commission is the earliest international electrotechnical standardization body in the world, responsible for international standardization in the fields of electrical engineering and electronic engineering. The agency focused its efforts on the standardization of electrical equipment in the early days, rather than the standardization of plugs and sockets.

 

According to the report, it is already after World War II that engineers focused on the standardization of plugs and sockets. Before World War II, the infrastructure of the industrial powers was basically complete. For more than 40 years from the early 20th century to 1947, the development of plugs and sockets has not been subject to any standardized control. For commercial interests, most companies focus on the domestic market, which has led to the emergence of so many types of plugs all over the world.

 

Three-pronged plugs are generally considered safer than two-pronged plugs. But Mayor de Belcia rejects this view. "When it comes to plugs and sockets, safety is paramount," he said. "All plugs and sockets, regardless of model, have to go through numerous tests to meet safety standards."

 

Mayor de Belgia said that while attempts have been made to introduce a unified plug, this wish is unlikely to come true anytime soon. Because there are already countless plugs and sockets in the world. He asked rhetorically: "Who can convince a country to change its national infrastructure?"

 

Now you can buy a plug with a USB interface in Yide Electric Jingdong Mall. So is this a workaround? Mayor de Belcia said that this is one of the possible solutions and a good option for consumers since most electronic devices can work with a USB interface. But for now, this is only a possibility. There are also many technical problems that must be solved, such as unifying the output power of the USB interface.

 

Of course, there are other ways to solve this big hassle, such as wireless charging systems. But Mayor de Belcia pointed out that all solutions must be a normative development process, so as to ensure the safety of end-users.