MrDude1,
The way you explain it, it makes sense.
The confusion comes in once you work mostly with three phase, since those three phases are 120 degrees apart and looking at one phase, well it is 110-115V to neutral or mostly ground in my case (in a 230) and 230 phase to phase. (Plus or minus the 10%)
So if I look at a single wire, it is one phase, three wires then, I have the three phases rotating 120 degrees apart.
So, single phase where I have the two big bus bars in my panel with 110- 120V each coming in is that simply one phase 180 off-set to each other as you say?
And the potential between them them is 230.
Not sure where the 180 degrees offset comes from when the utility only sends one phase, which would come from ... oh hang on, so you are saying that the generator has two coils 180 degrees offset and every time the armature zips by, it picks up the induced current and sends it out and the other coil 180 degrees later gives you the other current, but it is still one phase?
The same happens for three phase power, three coils or magnets are inducing current 120 degrees apart and you'll end up with three phases.
So in my mind right now, the 120V 180 degrees apart would be two phase then.
Don't spend more time with me on this until I have actually looked it up and looked at some delta and wye configurations again and whatever is up there for single phase.
Ah... that is why we have only one transformer on poles in front of residential houses.
One line of electricity, one phase.
All I have to understand now is where the 180 offset happens.
So weird that I am actually good and comfortable with wiring for single phase (normal sockets in our shop) and the three phase for our machines, 240 and 480 Volts but when it comes to using the potential between the two incoming tabs on single phase, my brain goes
We even have a high leg in our shop, which I understand every time I look at the delta wye transformer on a drawing.
Thanks for trying to teach me.
Let me look it up and I'll probably come back and hit my head so y'all can hear it from afar.
I feel so brave right now admitting that I am stupid when it comes to single phase 240V.
Rider7