Red Seal Electrician Practice
Safety and work practicesQuestion 619 of 1506

A worker cuts the third prong off a plug to fit a two-prong receptacle. What is the main danger?

  1. The appliance will not run at all without the third prong.
  2. The appliance will draw twice its normal current from the supply.
  3. The neutral wire will carry the full line voltage to the case.
  4. The case is no longer grounded, so a hot-to-case fault can be deadly.
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Correct answer: The case is no longer grounded, so a hot-to-case fault can be deadly.

The appliance still works, but nothing now protects the user from a fault to the metal case.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 3.8: Safe Circuit Design

Practice safety and work practices

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026