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power supply - My laptop has a three prong grounded plug. Does it need the ground pin?


I recently bought a minivan that has 110V power outlets. I'd like to use my laptop in the van sometimes (not as the driver, of course), but my laptop has a three prong grounded plug, and the outlet is two prong.


What problems might I experience if I use a cheater plug (three prong to two prong adapter)? Why does a laptop need earth ground?



Answer



You wouldn't experience any problems except in the rare case that your laptop has an internal short from a live power line conductor to an exposed metal part of the laptop.


The ground plug is purely for safety and has no effect on the proper operation of an electrical appliance. It accomplishes two things. First, it assures that the plug is inserted with the proper orientation so that the hot wire of the socket is connected in a predictable way to the appliance. Second, the safety ground wire is typically used in appliances that have a conductive case and the case is connected to the safety ground. If a short circuit were to occur inside the appliance, any current will be passed through ground, rather than through the body of someone who touches the conductive case.


The laptop will work just fine if the ground plug is removed or if the hot wire and neutral wire are reversed.


To answer the title of you're question, you may not want to remove the grounding pin because "If the customer alters the product in any way, then all warantees are void. It is, by definition, the customer's fault, whether there are technical reasons or not."


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