You find yourself in an airport or hotel room in another country, and you really need to charge your phone, camera or game system. But what is that strange-looking outlet? It has round holes! And ...

Q: When I plugged my cell phone charger into a kitchen outlet, my phone didn’t start charging as it normally does—rather, it seemed that this one electrical outlet was not working. Is there something ...

Not all outlet holes are the same, and there's a reason for that. The shapes (vertical slots, round holes, T-slots, etc.) correspond to specific electrical functions and safety features. Take the ...

The first U.S. detachable electric plug was patented by Harvey Hubbell II in 1904 and was among many of Hubbell's contributions to the field. But it would take a few decades before a standardized ...

Right now, if you happen to be in Noth America, chances are pretty good that there’s at least one little face staring at you. Look around and you’ll spy it, probably about 15 inches up from the floor ...

When you purchase a home, you may notice large boxes covering the outdoor electrical outlets. This is a weather-resistant receptacle outlet box, and it's one of the most common electrical outlets ...

This article about electrical outlets is republished here with permission from The Conversation. This content is shared here because the topic may interest Snopes readers; it does not, however, ...

Theodore Kury is the Director of Energy Studies at the University of Florida’s Public Utility Research Center, which is sponsored in part by the Florida electric and gas utilities and the Florida ...