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alternating current |
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alternating current, abbr. AC, a flow of electric charge that undergoes periodic reverses in direction. In North America ordinary household current alternates at a frequency of 60 times per second. See electricity electricity, class of phenomena arising from the existence of charge . The basic unit of charge is that on the proton or electron —the proton's charge is designated as positive while the electron's is negative. ..... Click the link for more information. ; generator generator, in electricity, machine used to change mechanical energy into electrical energy. It operates on the principle of electromagnetic induction , discovered (1831) by Michael Faraday. ..... Click the link for more information. . alternating current (AC)Flow of electric charge that reverses periodically, unlike direct current. It starts from zero, grows to a maximum, decreases to zero, reverses, reaches a maximum in the opposite direction, returns again to zero, and repeats the cycle indefinitely. The time taken to complete one cycle is called the period (see periodic motion), and the number of cycles per second is the frequency; the maximum value in either direction is the current's amplitude. Low frequencies (50–60 cycles per second) are used for domestic and commercial power, but frequencies of around 100 million cycles per second (100 megahertz) are used in television and of several thousand megahertz in radar and microwave communication. A major advantage of alternating current is that the voltage can be increased and decreased by a transformer for more efficient transmission over long distances. Direct current cannot use transformers to change voltage. See also electric current. See AC. |
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? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | ||
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| The MGD Termit has an aggregate power of 6 kW; mass, 10 kg; maximum
welding current in standard configuration, 200 A; constant off-load
output voltage, 65 V; welding current regulation range, 10-20 A;
constant output voltage for illumination, electric power tools, 220 ([+
or -]15) V; accumulator batteries 12 V (24 V); recharge voltage 3-100 A;
shutoff protection in 220 V circuits with current overload or short
circuit; direct to alternating current converter option, 220 V, 50 Hz. At the time, George Westinghouse was selling residents of
Manhattan alternating current electricity as a cheaper alternative to
Edison's direct current power. The company's main product is a device that converts
electrical power from alternating current to direct current with the
focus on industrial and telecommunications departments. |
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alternating current
