ALTERNATING

CURRENT
AC
OBJECTIVES
• Define Alternating Current
• Discuss the advantages of alternating current.
• Draw conclusions why Power plants use an RMS value when
calculating your electricity bill.
DIRECT CURRENT
• Batteries produce a direct current (DC). A direct current consists of a
steady unidirected flow of electrons.
• Steady - the electric current has the same value
Unidirectional - electrons flow in one direction
DIRECT CURRENT
ALTERNATING CURRENT
• AC consist of electrons oscillating back and forth over very short
distances.
To calculate voltage at any point in time

• Recall

Where
= Angular frequency ( unit rad s-1)
V o = Peak voltage
V = voltage at any point in time
f = frequency, the number of cycles

occurring in one second

TRANSFORMERS
• A transformer is a device that uses electromagnetic induction to alter
the value of an AC voltage.
STEP UP TRANSFORMERS
STEP DOWN TRANSFORMERS
TYPES OF TRANSFORMERS

• Step up - number of turns in secondary > number of turns in primary.

NS > NP

• Step down - number of turns in primary > number of turns in

secondary.
NP > NS
MAGNETIC FIELD DUE TO DC
THROUGH A CONDUCTOR
• When D.C is applied to a straight wire a magnetic field is produced.
• This magnetic field is constant.
• It is in the shape of concentric circles.
• Its direction is found using the right grip rule.
MAGNETIC FIELD DUE TO AC
THROUGH A CONDUCTOR
• When A.C is applied to a straight wire a magnetic field is produced.
• This magnetic field is not constant.
• It is in the shape of concentric circles.
• Its direction is found using the right grip rule.
Transformers are not 100% Efficient
This is due to
• Energy losses due to heating of wires.
• Eddy currents in the core, so the core gets hot.
• Hysteresis loss due to the changing magnetic field.
ADVANTAGES OF ALTERNATING CURRENT

1. Can be transmitted over long distances.

2. Can be produced cheaply.
3. Can be transformed to any desired value with the use of a
transformer.
What type of voltage produces an AC which is
used by power plants to calculate an electric bill?
RMS value
• The RMS value of an alternating current (effective value) is the steady
direct current which dissipates energy in a given resistance at the
same rate as alternating current.
ROOT MEAN SQUARE
Why do we use the RMS value?
• The RMS voltage represents the equivalent DC voltage required to
produce the same power in resistive loads.
• If Io is used we would be overcharged.
• If the average positive and negative current is used you would end up
with zero current.
Equations for AC

R
ROOT MEAN SQUARE