Primary Terminologies of Alternating Current
- Amplitude: It is the highest positive or negative value obtained by an alternating quantity in a single full cycle.
- Alternating: alternating indicates varying. Quantities that change polarity or direction, respectively, over time.
- Instantaneous value: It is the value of voltage or current at any particular instant of time.
- Frequency: It is defined as the number of cycles per second made by an alternating quantity.
- Time Period: The time taken in seconds by a quantity(usually voltage or current) to complete one cycle is called time period.
- Waveform: It is a shape created by plotting the instantaneous values of an alternating variable like voltage and current along the y-axis and the time or angle along the x-axis.
Working Principles of Alternating Current Generator
Do you ever wonder what kind of current flows in the power lines of our household? Is it the same current that is generated in electronic devices with DC battery supply or is it something different? In this article, we will discuss a different current that alternates i.e. varies in magnitude and direction. This type of current is called alternating current.
Alternating current is generally seen flowing in power lines(telephone cables, office lines) and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet. It is basically used for industrial, chemical, and domestic power usage where it is transmitted over a long distance. The most common frequency for AC power in many parts of the world is 50 or 60 hertz (Hz), meaning the direction of the current changes 50 or 60 times per second. On the contrary, we have DC current which flows in one direction and doesn’t change polarity.
In this article, we will see all the terminologies related to AC current, the method used for generating AC current, and the difference between AC and DC current. We will also discuss the phasors and the application of AC currents. The later part of this article will talk about AC circuit analysis.