# Can you actually reverse the polarity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235 "2011-03-02T17:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/41 "2011-03-03T13:26:18Z")
In Soviet Union, _you_ reverse _polarity!_ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/42 "2011-03-03T17:52:57Z")
Good lord, that thread was way back in 2002?!? I would have thought it was no more than a year or two ago. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/43 "2011-03-03T18:15:44Z")
Don’t worry. If you accidentally reverse the polarity, all you need to do is change the gravitational constant of the universe. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/44 "2011-03-04T00:37:39Z")
At my last job, as a safety test, we hooked up a 12V car battery charger to a phone we were developing. Reverse polarity. We found out just how much smoke is in a new cell phone. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/45 "2011-03-04T01:02:34Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I expect the radio and ipod have diodes, as would a flashlight if it’s one of the newer ones with LEDs (i.e. diodes). Direction of current will matter. Most digital integrated circuits are transistors set inside reversed biased diodes. If you reverse the polarity of the power to the digital IC the diodes will forward bias and nothing will work. Things may or may not be damaged depending on how much current the thing powering the IC can deliver. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/46 "2011-03-04T02:15:38Z")
“From the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me, a light so brilliant an wondrous; and yet so simple. Change the poles from plus to minus, and from minus to plus. I alone succeeded in discovering the secret of bestowing life! Nay, even more, I myself became capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter!” IT CAN’T WORK! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/47 "2011-03-04T05:13:23Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > We need a courageous moderator to go into the OP’s post and reverse its polarity! Then it will all make sense. OK, I’m in the Jeffries Tubes and I’ve gotten as far as… let’s see, if I go down this ladder and crawl to the left… yes, I’ll be at the OP. So, guys, I just need… guys? Is anyone there? Hey, I need someone to hand me that sonic screwdriver… ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/48 "2011-03-04T18:39:34Z")
> [@digs](#): > > OK, I’m in the Jeffries Tubes and I’ve gotten as far as… let’s see, if I go down this ladder and crawl to the left… yes, I’ll be at the OP. > > So, guys, I just need… guys? Is anyone there? > > Hey, I need someone to hand me that sonic screwdriver… …revirdwercs cinos taht em dnah ot enoemos deen I, yeH .ti ekorb ouy, ho, hO ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235/49 "2011-03-04T19:04:15Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > …revirdwercs cinos taht em dnah ot enoemos deen I, yeH > > .ti ekorb ouy, ho, hO You don’t have a pointy black beard, do you? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-reverse-the-polarity/573235.md?page=2)