Power adaptors.
Electricity is distributed through outlets in a number of different ways. There are some outlets with a number of different holes for a specific plug and some outlets that just have different currents of electricity, like those between North America and Europe. These power adaptors can be purchased at hardware stores and carried with you when you travel from country to country.
Three- to Two-Prong Adaptors
Some outlets in North America only have a place for two prongs to be inserted into them, not the grounding piece which helps keep the three pronged outlets from shorting out. However, most cables sold on new electrical products in North America have three prongs, so an adaptor will have to be used when trying to plug them into this outlet. These small plastic three prong to two prong adaptors can be bought for a few dollars at a hardware store, allowing just about any three prong cable to be easily plugged into a two prong outlet.
Large, Flat Three Prong
Large, flat three prong adaptors are used primarily in Great Britain. The metal prongs consist of two that are long and flat and one that is long and rectangular with a large block of plastic supporting these prongs. These prongs form a triangle and plug into circular outlets. Adaptors for these plugs should be purchased before traveling to Great Britain or Ireland.
Three-Prong Triangle Adaptor
A triangular three-prong adaptor has long rounded metal prongs that have a thin triangular piece of plastic supporting them. These power adaptors used to be the old British standard and took hold in their colonies of South Africa and India, where now it they are used almost exclusively. These adaptor plugs are used in raised, circular outlets.
Rectangular Three Prong
A rectangular three prong plug has a large amount of plastic behind it and three long metal pieces sticking out of it, meant for a similar rectangular metal outlet. The center prong acts as a grounding pin. Power adaptors for these plugs are used primarily in Italy, though they are also known to be necessary in South American countries such as Uruguay and Argentina.
Tags: North America, adaptors used, circular outlets, Great Britain, metal prongs, number different