Why Earth Pin is Longer and Larger than Phase and Neutral?

Generally Earthing is the process of connecting metal body of the Electrical Equipment to ground.

In the Single Phase Plug top, You can see that the Earth pin have larger cross section and its length is larger compared to the Phase and neutral pit. Because, When you plug in the Plug top, Earth Pin has to connect first before phase and neutral going to connect. If any leakage occurs in the body of the equipment, it has to be grounded before making of contact. It will avoid the fault.

When you try to connect the earth pin to phase or neutral, you cant. It is larger than phase neutral pin. It will avoid the unwanted passing of phase current to the equipment body.

Earth pin Myth:

Reason for the larger Earth cross section taught from the college is that it will give the low resistive path than phase or neutral. It is not correct. Generally Wire connected to earth pin is half of the size of the Phase and neutral. Increasing the cross section of the Pin cannot help, When connected conductor is smaller that phase and neutral.