Currents of plugs?

How do they determine the maximum current in power plugs? For example, why is it that the 120V plugs (with the withered blades) are rated 15A, while the round-pin-plugs are rate at 5A, though the pins are much thicker and bigger?

I also noticed that the round pin plugs (5A) and the euro plugs (16A) enjoy the same compactness for the pins, why is that the case?


Answers:    In connectors the amount of contact nouns is critical in the current it can get. While the thickness of the plugs will create a difference the contact area is also outstandingly important. A small contact nouns will get hot long past a bigger contact area.
An union established for the purpose of standardization is called NEMA, or National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Plug design is not base so much on physical current handling capability as simply design to prevent cross-use.

A plug that can fetch higher current can also be used contained by a receptacle that handles lower current, but a lower current plug should NEVER fit into a high current receptacle. But it IS only a standards concern and doesn't carry the force of canon, nor is it universal around the sphere.

Here are two links which go into some detail around NEMA standards, one from Wikipedia which is basically accurate, and the other from the NEMA site itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connec...
http://www.nema.org/stds/aboutstds/uploa...

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