What is the difference between single pole and 1 phase and double pole and 3 pole and 3 phase?

Question

What is the difference between single pole and 1 phase and double pole and 3 pole and 3 phase?

Answer 1

If you are talking about electricity.... Single phase and three phase describe the incoming voltage. For example, a typical home in the U.S. is considered single phase 240, this means that the total voltage coming into the home is 240 volts, but it actually takes 2 legs of 120 volts to get this. Commercial and industrial applications use 3 phase, for a typical 480 volt 3 phase service you will have 3 legs of 277 volts. For both of these applications if you use a multimeter and read between any two powered legs you will have the previously mentioned voltage. Now as far as poles go.... this typically describes the number of terminals on an electrical apparatus...(i.e. breaker, relay, switch, etc.)  There will be one s***w/lug for each pole. There are other uses for the term pole, but this is the most commonly used. I hope this is what you were asking about.... if not .... oops!!!