Single or three phase power implies we are talking about AC power, where the voltage

and current
waveforms are nominally sinusoidal. In three phase power, three wires are involved,
with the current in the
three wires being nominally sine-wave shaped, with the positive current peaks in each of
the three wires
occurring at times which are separated by 120 degrees in phase, thus being evenly spaced
(3X120=360).
Being evenly spaced around the "full circle" of 360 degrees, and having nominally equal
magnitudes, they
add up, vector-wise, to zero net current external to the three wires, so no additional
conductors are required
to implement the complete closed circuit (which is always required in electrical
circuits.) single-phase systems, they make more efficient use of the available "phase
space" in the sense that they allow maximum transmission of power when limits are
imposed on both peak current and peak voltage for reasons of safety and efficiency.
Still another advantage of three-phase power is that this form of power allows a
particularly simple means of creating a rotating magnetic field in a motor, the
requirement being simply that there be three sets of magnetic poles in the motor
structure, evenly spaced around the full 360 degree perimeter of the motor field
structure. This makes possible especially powerful and efficient motor and generator
designs. Historically, all this goes back to a famous dispute between Edison and
Tesla, which Tesla won decisively (can be googled!). rated voltage is, there is a
voltage between each pair of wires at phase angles of 0, 120 and 240 electrical
degrees. It is three voltage supplies carried on three wires.

Single Phase-

If youre not electrically minded, think of 1 (Single) phase power like a one pedal
bicycle where one (pushing leg) provides power.

Single Phase power refers to a two wire Alternating Current (AC) power circuit.
Typically there is one power wire and one neutral wire. In the US, 120V is the
standard single phase voltage with one 120V power wire and one neutral wire. In
some countries, 230V is the standard single phase voltage with one 230V power
wire and one neutral wire. Power flows between the power wire (through the load)
and the neutral wire.

Three Phase(3 phase)-

If youre not electrically minded, think of 3 (Three) phase power like a three
cylinder engine where three (pushing pistons) provide power.

Three Phase power refers to three wire Alternating Current (AC) power circuits.
Typically there are three (Phase A, Phase B, Phase C) power wires (120 degrees
out of phase with one another) and one neutral wire. For our purposes lets
consider a 3 Phase 4 Wire 208Y/120V power circuit. This arrangement provides
(3) 120V single phase power circuits and (1) 208V three phase power circuit. 120V
power flows (alternating) between any power wire (through the load) and the
neutral wire. 208V power flows (alternating) between the three power wires
(through the load).

Most US commercial buildings use a 3 Phase 4 Wire 208Y/120V power

arrangement because of its flexibility. Low power loads (lights, computers, etc.)
are powered using any 120V single phase power circuit and high power loads
(Water Heaters, AC Compressors) are powered using the 208V three phase power
circuit.

Most US industrial facilities use a 3 Phase 4 Wire 480Y/277V power arrangement

because of its power density. Compared to single phase power circuits, three phase
power circuits provide 1.732 (the square root of 3) times more power with the
same current. Using a 3 Phase power arrangement saves on electrical construction
costs by reducing the current requirements, the required wire size, and the size of
associated electrical devices. It also reduces energy costs because the lower current
reduces the amount of electrical energy lost to resistance (converted to heat).
Single Phase means the concerned parameter(V or I) has single waveform. The
system has two wires(connectors) : Line(phase) & Neutral.

A two phase means the concerned parameter(V or I) has dual waveform. The phase
angle between them is 90.

A 3 phase means the concerned parameter(V or I) has dual waveform. The phase
angle between them is 120.
Single phase in general contains a line and a neutral .

Three phase (4 wire) contains three lines with a phase difference between each of
them along with a neutral .

Why three phase system is better then single phase in electricity?

There are three reasons. The first and, perhaps, most important reason is economy
as, for a given load, a three-phase systems uses around 75% of the volume of
copper required by a single-phase system. The second reason is that a three-phase
system provides essentially continuous power, whereas single-phase provides
pulsating power. The third reason is that three-phase induction motors are self-
starting, whereas single-phase motors are not.

What is the difference single phase and three phase supply system?
A 3-phase system can generally supply more power than single phase. Most
ordinary houses have a single-phase supply while larger buildings like factories
have 3 phase.
In Europe a normal domestic supply has a single phase supply carried on two
wires, a live and a neutral. For a large house or shop with a three-phase supply
there is a 4-wire supply with three live wires and a neutral, and in principle it can
supply three times the power (assuming the same wire size). So three times the
power is supplied with four wires instead of two, and there is a saving in wire.

A three-phase supply has a further advantage in that the current in the neutral tends
to be low, and when the live wires happen to be carrying equal currents, the neutral
current is zero. Thus the power lost in the resistance of the wire is reduced, and
three-phase three-wire transmission is used all over the world for power
transmission ove distances.

When would a three phase power supply be preferred over single phase supply?
If you are asking why do we use three-phase for transmission/distribution, then the
answer is simple: economy. For both overhead and underground systems, it can be
shown that three-phase distribution uses less copper(or aluminium) than single
phase distribution for a given load. However, the most economical method, in
terms of copper usage, is a direct-current system -but, of course, changing voltage
levels of DC is far more complicated than for AC systems.

If, on the other hand, you are asking why a three-phase supply might be more
useful than single phase to a consumer, then the answer is that three-phase motors
are self-starting and, for a given load, more compact and lighter than the
corresponding single-phase motor. So, for consumers with motor loads, three phase
would be a better choice than single phase.
 In Europe a normal domestic supply has a single phase supply carried on two
wires, a live and a neutral. For a large house or shop with a three-phase supply
there is a 4-wire supply with three live wires and a neutral, and in principle it can
supply three times the power (assuming the same wire size). So three times the
power is supplied with four wires instead of two, and there is a saving in wire. A
three-phase supply has a further advantage in that the current in the neutral tends to
be low, and when the live wires happen to be carrying equal currents, the neutral
current is zero. Thus the power lost in the resistance of the wire is reduced, and
three-phase three-wire transmission is used all over the world for power
transmission ove distances.

When would a three phase power supply be preferred over single phase supply?
Why do we use three-phase for transmission/distribution, economy. For both
overhead and underground systems, it can be shown that three-phase distribution
uses less copper(or aluminium) than single phase distribution for a given load.
However, the most economical method, in terms of copper usage, is a direct-
current system -but, of course, changing voltage levels of DC is far more
complicated than for AC systems.

If, on the other hand, you are asking why a three-phase supply might be more
useful than single phase to a consumer, then the answer is that three-phase motors
are self-starting and, for a given load, more compact and lighter than the
corresponding single-phase motor. So, for consumers with motor loads, three phase
would be a better choice than single phase.

How many wires in a three phase system?

Up to 5 wires can be used in a three phase system, with 3 live wires, 1 neutral and 1
ground (earth).

A 4 - wire system is commonly used for groups of houses or small businesses. These are
three live wires and a neutral. The ground wire is locally connected to ground rod.

For medium and high voltage power distribution a 3-wire system is commonly used
consisting of three live wires. When the system is balanced, with equal currents in all
three live wires, no neutral is needed.
What color is the neutral on a three phase four wire system?
White - In USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service, white is the
colour used for neutrals in any three phase four wire system. White is also used to
identify the neutral in single phase electrical systems. The neutral wire size is larger
and the wire does have a white colour insulation.

Black - is generally the standard colour used to denote the neutral in a three phase four
wire colour system.

Blue - For European Systems, the present standard colour for the neutral is blue. The line
colours are brown, black, and grey. The earth wiring colour is green/yellow stripe.

What are the 3 phase electric wire colors?

It depends in which country you live, as the colours depend upon national or international
standards. For example, in UK the colours were red, yellow, and blue. These days, in
order to integrate with EU requirements, those colours are being replaced
with brown, black and grey.

In Canada the phase colours are Red, Black and Blue.

In the US the phase color coding is Black, Red and Blue for 208 volts and Brown,
Orange and Yellow for 480 volts.

How do you wire three phase into

the mains?
In the UK, the term, 'mains', refers to the supply voltage provided by the distribution system. In most
residential properties, the mains' supply is single phase (there are exceptions: some European
countries have three-phase supplies), in which case you cannot 'wire' a three-phase load such as an
induction motor into the mains.
 single-phase systems Three phase power
three wires are involved
rated voltage is, there is a voltage
between each pair of wires at phase
angles of 0, 120 and 240 electrical
degrees.
most efficient way to deliver high
power.
A 3-phase system can generally supply
more power than single phase.
Most ordinary houses have a single- larger buildings like factories have 3
phase supply phase.

Definition of Single phase

The single phase requires two wires for completing the circuit, i.e., the conductor and
the neutral. The conductor carries the current and the neutral is the return path of the
current. The single phase supplies the voltage up to 230 volts. It is mostly used for
running the small appliances like a fan, cooler, grinder, heater, etc.
Definition of Three Phase
The three phase system consist four wires, three conductors and one neutral. The
conductors are out of phase and space 120 apart from each other. The three phase
system is also used as a single phase system. For the low load, one phase and neutral
can be taken from the three phase supply.

The three phase supply is continuous and never completely drops to zero. In three
phase system power can be drawn either in a star or delta configuration. The star
connection is used for long distance transmission because it has neutral for the fault
current.
The delta connection consists three phase wires and no neutral.