Which of the following connectors can be plugged into a Thunderbolt 3 port on a laptop?

Thunderbolt 3 is a high-speed interface protocol developed by Intel that utilizes the physical USB-C connector. This design choice allows a single, compact, and reversible port to support multiple protocols, including Thunderbolt, USB, DisplayPort, and power delivery. Therefore, a USB-C connector is the only one from the options provided that can be physically plugged into a Thunderbolt 3 port. The port is backward compatible, meaning it can function as a standard USB port when a USB-C device is connected.

A. miniUSB: This connector has a different physical shape and size and is mechanically incompatible with a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port.
B. microUSB: This connector is also physically different and smaller than a USB-C connector, making it impossible to plug into a Thunderbolt 3 port.
C. USB-A: This is the traditional rectangular USB connector. It is physically larger and has a different shape, preventing it from fitting into a Thunderbolt 3 port.

1. Intel Corporation. (2017). Thunderbolt™ 3 Technology Brief. Page 2, "Introduction". The document states, "Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at 40Gbps, creating one compact port that does it all – delivering the fastest, most versatile connection to any dock, display, or data device." This officially confirms the use of the USB-C connector for the Thunderbolt 3 interface.

2. USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (2021). USB Type-C® Cable and Connector Specification Revision 2.1. Section 1.1, "Scope". This document defines the physical and electrical specifications for the USB-C connector, which is the form factor adopted by the Thunderbolt 3 protocol.

3. Patterson, D. A., & Hennessy, J. L. (2017). Computer Organization and Design RISC-V Edition: The Hardware Software Interface. Morgan Kaufmann. In discussions of modern I/O technologies, the text describes Thunderbolt 3's adoption of the USB Type-C connector as a key feature for unifying connectivity. (Refer to sections on I/O and peripheral devices in recent editions).