In the present age, almost every appliance in a house runs on electricity. The same is the case in any office building or even school. Considering the number of electrical appliances people have, you would need an infinite number of electrical plugs or sockets to serve all these electrical appliances. Thus, it is impractical to have wall sockets that fit all the electrical requirements of a house or a building. That is where extension cords come in handy.
Extension cords provide additional sockets which allow you to plug in the device or appliance if the electrical appliances outnumber the number of wall sockets available. Extension cords also will enable you to manage the arrangement of your building since you don’t have to place every electrical appliance directly next to the wall socket. You can use an extension cord to power a device or an appliance with a short power cord that cannot reach the wall socket.
The Difference Between Voltage and Amperage
When considering the electricity content in a 10 gauge extension cord, two terms are often confused and used interchangeably. These are voltage and amperage. While both terms refer to a measure of electricity, they relate to two distinct properties of electricity.
Voltage is the unit of measuring the potential difference or electromotive force. In simple terms, voltage measures the pressure or the force that drives electricity through a conductor. Voltage is recorded and measured in volts.
On the other hand, amperage measures the volume or content of electrical current passing through a circuit. Thus, while voltage drives the flow of electrons through a conductor, the electric current is the flow of electrons that passes through the conductor. The current is then measured in amperes and relates to the amperage of the conductor.
Using the analogy of water passing through a pipe, the voltage or potential difference is the pressure that pushes the water from the pipe’s opening to the pipe’s end. The water itself is the charge or electrons passing through the wire. The rate at which the water moves from the pipe’s opening to the end is the current flow, measured in amperes.
How Extension Cords Work
Just like the name suggests, an extension cord simply extends the socket from the wall to an additional number of sockets that are closer to the appliance you are using. In many instances, an extension cord has several sockets which you can use to plug in additional devices. However, the extension cable does not divide the entire voltage among the number of sockets placed on the extended cord. The extension cord makes a parallel connection. A parallel connection distributes the same voltage at the wall socket to all the sockets on the extension cord. This ensures you enjoy the same voltage regardless of whether you have plugged your electrical appliance into the wall socket or the extension cord.
A standard wall socket has three slots, two on one side and one alone. The two that are on one side are neutral and live. As the name suggests, the live slot powers the electrical appliance. The power then leaves the electrical device through the neutral slot to complete the circuit. The third slot is the ground or earth slot, which carries excess charges into the ground. This ensures that you are not shocked when using the electrical appliance.
Wire Gauge and Amperage
The gauge of the wire or an extension cord determines the current which can pass through the cord. The gauge of the wire is the cross-sectional area of the wire. As per the American Wire Gauge system, every wire gauge is assigned from 0 to 30, depending on the cross-section of the wire. The thickest wire, the wire with the largest cross-section, is given the AWS number 0, while the wires with the smallest cross-section are assigned this standardized number 30. Thicker wires can carry a larger electrical current than thinner wires without damage.
In most instances, extension cords issued the standardized number 10 or gauge 10 have a maximum amp rating of 50. This means the extension cord can carry 50 amperes of current under ordinary conditions without sustaining damage.
What Are 10 Gauge Extension Cords Used For?
Now that you know the amperes that a 10-gauge extension cord can carry, you need to know which electrical appliances are ideal for the extension cord. 10-gauge extension cords can carry reasonably strong currents. You can use them for heavy-duty power appliances such as chainsaws, shop vacs, and air compressors. Similarly, you can use them for ordinary purposes since the extension cord can handle currents up to 50 A. Ensure that any appliance you use does not surpass this rating.
Parting Shot
A discussion on extension cords will not be complete if a short conclusion stating the dos and don’ts of extension cords is not done. To use the extension cords safely, ensure you never overload an extension cord with too many appliances. Secondly, never plug multiple extension cords into each other. Thirdly, always buy three-pronged extension cords to avoid the risk of shocks. Extension cords with two prongs lack the ground prong, which may increase the likelihood of an electric shock. Lastly, pull the plug, not the cord, when disconnecting the extension cord from the socket.