That's why it's generally safe to plug a two-prong plug into a three-prong outlet: those plugs are designed to work safely even without a grounding slot. Still, grounding matters for some devices.

Adapters — also called cheater plugs — that allow you to connect three-prong plugs to two-prong outlets exist, but for the same reason, they're not totally safe to use.

At some point, you may have even stopped to ask yourself what the third prong is actually for and whether it's okay to use a two-prong plug in a three-prong outlet. The short answer: yes, it ...

Some outlets are installed upside down, but the three prongs still serve the same purpose.Other outlets — especially older ones — only have two slots and can only fit two-prong plugs. Some ...