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Why is electricity in the USA 120 V when the rest of world uses 230 V?
Once AC was widely accepted as being superior to DC for power generation, transmission and distribution purpose, 120V (110V) became the standard for AC distribution in USA presumably because it used the “safer” voltage level of the DC system. 230V has lower distribution costs and was popularly taken up by Europe.
Why does America run on 120V?
The choice of 120V was to compensate for IR drop. The reason for 220-240 was that with AC distribution, this became a convenient voltage level to deliver to homes. And the reason why Europe dropped the 120V domestic distribution was simply economics. You can save on copper.
Why doesn’t the US use 240V?
The reason it’s 240V is because that’s the power line that has been standardized over here. Some European countries use 220V, while some specify 230V; most appliances will accept 220-240V however. Regular appliances like lamps, laptops, and phones do not need access to this power.
What advantage does a 120 V operation offer over 240V?
When it comes down to it, the main advantage of 240-volt power over 120-volt power boils down to one simple point, and it is referred to as Joule’s Law, which is : Power is equal to voltage times current. Twice the voltage will transfer twice the power.
Is 240V more efficient than 120?
The performance of our 120V and 240V motors are identical. Our ¾ and 1hp units are available in 120V or 240V and the pattern size is the same for either option and there is no difference in the efficiency of either motor. If you already have 120V power available, go with that.
Why is the US still using 110 volts instead of 120?
But the U.S. stayed with 110 volts (today it’s officially 120 volts) because we had such a big installed base of 110-volt equipment. But don’t worry that we’re stuck with a technological dinosaur. Fact is, homes with standard 3-wire electrical service in most parts of the country get 240 volts.
How many volts does it take to power a house in NY?
The electrical service in most U.S. homes is 240 volts single phase with a center tap, giving you the 120 volts needed for most household uses. To be fair, New York, in this as so many things, is an exception. There 208 volts is the standard high-end voltage.
What is the difference between a 120 volt and a 240 volt?
When a load is applied from either 120 volt conductor to the neutral (as is the case for typical receptacles, lights, and so forth) it is using 120 volts. However, when a load is applied from one 120 volt conductor to the other, without using the neutral, the voltage being used is the sum of both 120 volt conductors (240 volts).
Why do power plants run on 110 volts?
So the hundreds of power plants built in the U.S. prior to 1900 adopted 110 volts (or 115 or 120 volts) as their de facto standard. Trouble was, power transmission at higher voltages was more efficient — you didn’t have to use so much copper in the wires.