like, what's your phase? [RE-wrenches]

[Ian Woofenden, Home Power]

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Marco,

No one has answered the "two-phase" part of your question. My AC 
Fundamentals text says that two-phase has mostly been replaced by 
three-phase these days, but it was two single phases 90 degrees 
apart, and could be in a four-wire or three-wire configuration.

Ian

>A basic Electricity 101 question: why is "single phase" three-wire (two hots
>and a neutral) 120/240VAC called single phase?  Aren't there actually two
>phases 180 degrees opposite of each other?  I mean, I can clearly understand
>why three-phase power is called three phase with each phase, at least in the
>U.S., 120 degrees out-of-phase with each other with no congruence of the
>phases at the zero crossing.  Why then isn't "single phase" actually called
>two phase?  (And yes, I know that "single phase" is also referred to as
>"split phase."  The word "split" implies two, right?
>
>And if, in fact, "single phase" power is single phase, then what's two phase
>power?  I read in the American Electricians' Handbook over the weekend
>references to "two phase power." 
>
>I'm confused...
>
>Marco Mangelsdorf

-- 

Ian Woofenden <ian.woofenden at homepower.com>, Senior Editor
Home Power magazine; Subscriptions: $22.50 per year, PO Box 520, 
Ashland, OR 97520 USA
800-707-6585 (US), 541-512-0220, or download free sample issue at 
<http://www.homepower.com>

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