AC Circuits - Basic Terminologies
Basic Terminologies in AC circuits Alternating current (AC): An alternating current (AC) circuit is one in which the direction and amplitude of the current flow change at regular intervals with respect to time. Fig. AC Waveform sine wave: The shape of the voltage wave-form generated by a coil rotating in a magnetic field is called a sine wave. The generated sine wave voltage varies in both voltage value and polarity. Fig. Alternating Voltage/current generation. Cycle: One cycle is one complete wave of alternating voltage or current. During the generation of one cycle of output voltage, there are two changes or alternations in the polarity of the voltage. Fig. Concept of Cycle Period: The time required to produce one complete cycle is called the period of the wave-form. Frequency (F): The frequency of an AC sine wave is the number of cycles produced per second. unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz). Fig. concept of Period and Frequency Instantan...