The main advantages of alternating current are as follows:
- Economical and simple production
- Low-waste energy-transmission in large distances
- Easy transformation into other types based on the principle of mutual induction
- The sinusoidal type is not varied by the main components, including L, R, and C
What is alternating current and why do we use it?
The other sort of current is Alternating Current since it periodically reverses direction. This is the sort of electricity accessed via any wall outlet, and we use this to power homes and buildings and cities and so on because it’s easier to transmit long distances.
Why is alternating current preferred over direct current?
This is why alternating current is preferred over direct current for transmitting electricity, as it is much cheaper to change the voltage of an alternating current. However, there is a limit at which it is no longer advantageous to use alternating current over direct current (see HVDC transmission). Uses and Advantages.
Why is direct current more dangerous than alternating current?
This way, AC has the ability to easily pass through the capacitor. It means AC is more dangerous than DC in cases when the human body acts as a capacitor. In short, the impedance and resistance in DC is lower than AC as it decreases when frequency increases. This way, AC is more harmful than DC.
Why do we use alternating current in our homes?
Some of the reasons are:
- The majority of electrical load consist of induction motor, which can only be run by a.c.
- The distribution systems are in a.c.. This is beacuse with the use of transformers ( which can step up and down the voltage) voltage can be changed according to the ...
- A.c. ...
- The reactive power requirements can only be provided by a.c.
Why do we use AC current instead of DC?
The main factor that went into the choice of AC over DC was that AC is more efficient. Its ability to travel back and forth made gave it the ability to travel over longer distances. Thus making it able to power more homes.
How did alternating current change the world?
The True Influence of AC They transformed the electrical industry to be able to power motors, transmission systems, and other machines. Not only could it provide power in more ways than one, but it could improve upon the lighting systems, too.
What are two advantages of AC current?
Following are the advantages of alternating current over direct current: AC is less expensive and easy to generate than DC. The distance covered by AC is more than that of the DC. The power loss during transmission in AC is less when compared to DC.
What is alternating current and its uses?
Alternating current is the form in which electric power is delivered to businesses and residences, and it is the form of electrical energy that consumers typically use when they plug kitchen appliances, televisions, fans and electric lamps into a wall socket.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of alternating current?
(i) The generation of AC is cheaper than that of DC. (ii) When AC is supplied at higher voltages, the transmission losses are small compared to DC transmission. (iii) AC can easily be converted into DC with the help of rectifiers.
Why is AC safer than DC?
Some having the concept that DC is more dangerous than AC with the same level of voltage because AC changes it direction multiple times (i.e. AC touches the zero value 50 or 60 times) per second due to frequency and there is a chance for the victim to skip the shock, whereas there is no frequency in DC.
What is alternating current in simple words?
Definition: Alternating Current (AC) is a type of electrical current, in which the direction of the flow of electrons switches back and forth at regular intervals or cycles. Current flowing in power lines and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet is alternating current.
Is alternating current used in homes?
Both alternating and direct current play an important role in the average household. The appliances in your home, such as your refrigerator, washing machine and dishwasher use alternating current. In houses that aren't on a natural gas line, most furnaces, hot water heaters, ovens and dryers run on AC as well.
Why is it called alternating current?
Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that periodically reverses its direction, in contrast to direct current (DC) which only flows in a single direction which cannot change sporadically.
When did AC become popular?
Starting in the 1880s alternating current gained its key advantage over direct current with the development of functional transformers that allowed the voltage to be "stepped up" to much higher transmission voltages and then dropped down to a lower end user voltage for business and residential use.
When was alternating current invented?
After receiving a patent on the electric transmission of power in May of 1888, Tesla subsequently demonstrated alternating current electricity at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
What is alternating current in simple words?
Definition: Alternating Current (AC) is a type of electrical current, in which the direction of the flow of electrons switches back and forth at regular intervals or cycles. Current flowing in power lines and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet is alternating current.
Who developed alternating current?
Ottó BláthyWilliam Stanley Jr.Alternating current/Inventors
Define the period of alternating current.
The period of Alternating current is the time taken by it to complete one cycle.
Define the frequency of the alternating current.
The frequency of AC is the number of cycles completed by the alternating current in one second.
Give one method of generating sinusoidal alternating current.
A sinusoidal AC can be generated by rotating a coil in a uniform magnetic field at a constant rate.
What is the RMS value of an AC?
The RMS value of an AC is the square root of the mean of the squares of the instantaneous values taken over a complete cycle.
What are the advantages of AC over DC current?
Alternating current can be stepped up or stepped down using a transformer. Using electronic supply units, AC can be converted into DC. Alternatin...
Define period of alternating current.
Period of alternating is the time taken by it to complete one cycle.
Define frequency of an alternating current.
The frequency of AC is the number of cycles completed by the AC in one second.
What is the mean value of an AC?
Mean value of AC is the mean or average of the instantaneous values of AC taken over half a cycle.
Why is alternating current important?
Alternating current is important because it's voltage can be stepped up and down as required, thereby reducing power loss during transmission.
Is the voltage stepped down at the receiving station?
At the receiving station, the voltage is stepped down as much as we like.
Is net energy conserved?
According to law of conservation of energy, net energy is conserved and as voltage is stepped up, current is reduced since we have a relation P = V i
What is alternating current?
Defining Alternating Current. Alternating current is simply the movement of electrical charge through a medium that changes direction periodically. This is in contrast with direct current (DC), where the movement of charge is only in one direction and is constant.
Why is AC important?
Because of transformers, AC won out as the favorite for power transmission. AC's next advantage is in power generation. Hydroelectric AC generators. One of the most important inventions of the late 1800s was the AC generator, which was a simple design made practical by Westinghouse.
Why does electricity lose power in long lines?
Both AC and DC have power loss in long lines because of the resistance in the wires. For a fixed power, higher voltage results in lower current through the power line, and lower current means lower power line losses.
What is the measurement of the quantity of electrical charge that flows past a point in a certain amount of time?
Current (in amps) is a measurement of the quantity of electrical charge that flows past a point in a certain amount of time. Pushing the current is an electromotive force called voltage (in volts). If the current is alternating, then the voltage must also alternate, changing polarity on a regular cycle.
Why does AC and DC have power loss?
Both AC and DC have power loss in long lines because of the resistance in the wires. For a fixed power, higher voltage results in lower current through the power line, and lower current means lower power line losses. The early engineers realized that very high voltage is needed for efficient power transmission.
Who supported AC and DC?
It was called the 'War of Currents,' and it pitted Edison and his support for direct current (DC) electricity against engineers like George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla, who supported alternating current (AC). In the 1880s, incandescent lighting was the main goal, and DC was just as good as AC.
Who was the first person to use AC power in the Chicago World's Fair?
The war came to a head in 1893, when the contract to provide electricity to the Chicago World's Fair was awarded to Westinghouse , whose proposal, using AC, came in over 30% cheaper than Edison's.
What is Alternating Current?
An alternating current can be defined as a current that changes its magnitude and polarity at regular intervals of time. It can also be defined as an electrical current that repeatedly changes or reverses its direction opposite to that of Direct Current or DC which always flows in a single direction as shown below.
Why is voltage and current negative?
If the voltage and current are at their peak value as a positive value, the power will also be positive. Similarly, if the voltage and current are at a negative peak then the power will be negative. This is because of the phase difference between them.
How is the electric field developed?
The electric field is developed across the plates of the capacitor when a voltage is applied across the capacitor. Also, there will not be any current flows between them. The circuit will be, As we know, a capacitor includes two insulating plates which are separated by a dielectric medium.
Why is power negative in a waveform?
This can be expressed in a waveform as, If the voltage and current are at its peak value as a positive value , the power will also be positive. Similarly, if the voltage and current are at negative peak then the power will be negative. This is because of the phase difference between them.
What is the positive half cycle of asymmetrical waves?
The positive half cycle of asymmetrical waves such as a sinusoidal voltage or current waveform will be equal to the negative half cycle. Which implies that the average value after the completion of a full cycle is equal to zero. Since, both the cycles do some work the average value is obtained by avoiding the signs.
How does a capacitor work?
As we know, a capacitor includes two insulating plates which are separated by a dielectric medium. Usually, a capacitor works as a storage device and it gets charged if the supply is on and it gets discharged if the supply is off.
Why is AC used in homes?
AC is used mostly in homes and offices mainly because the generating and transporting of AC across long distances is a lot easier. Meanwhile, AC can be converted to and from high voltages easily using transformers. AC is also capable of powering electric motors that further convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Due to this AC also finds its use in many large appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers and many other appliances.
Why are AC power lines dangerous?
There are three main reasons: AC electricity loses less power over power lines than DC. It’s easier to change the voltage of an AC current, and the higher the voltage, the less power is lost. This is why non-residential power lines are more dangerous than residential power lines: they have a much higher voltage to reduce power loss ...
Is it easier to convert AC to DC?
It’s easier to convert from AC to DC than the other way around. A DC power supply consists of a transformer, a capacitor, and a few diodes, all of which are cheap and non-mechanical (no moving parts). A non-mechanical DC-to-AC "inverter," however, is not so simple (which was doubly true before the invention of the transistor).
What are the pros and cons of alternating current?
List of Pros of Alternating Current. 1. Efficient Power Transmission. Although in the beginning, AC and DC electric currents used to lose transmission when long lines are used, Westinghouse and Tesla made use of high voltage transmission lines to address this problem. Before, power is compromised to achieve steady transmission.
Why does AC need to run electrons back and forth?
This causes the rising and falling of magnetic fields and in order to achieve this , much power is needed. However, AC generators generate the wrong kind of electricity.
Why is AC power prone to heat and sparking?
Causes Heat and Spark. Opponents of the of AC power say that it is prone to heating and sparking that can potential fires and electric shock. This is because AC generators need to produce high currents. This also makes the AC generator less durable than the DC generator.
What is AC in electrical?
Alternating Current (AC) is a form of electric current commonly used in homes and businesses. As opposed to Direct Current (DC), AC is supplied as a result of the movement of electrical charge in a direction that changes over a period through a medium.
Why is it dangerous to work with AC than DC?
2. Need for Insulation. People who are not in favor of Alternating Current argue that high voltages that are essential to supply fixed power supply from AC require increased insulation , which in turn, increase the difficulty of handling it safely. This makes it more dangerous to work with AC than DC.
Why is power loss in transmission lines?
Before, power is compromised to achieve steady transmission. This is because of the resistance in the wires used. Whenever long line transmissions are used, power is lost. Since high voltage used to have a steady supply of electric power and lower current passes through the power line, this also results to lower power loss. 2.
Which is more practical, AC or fluorescent?
AC is the more practical form of electric power to use, especially that more compact fluorescent lights are becoming popular. 5. Lower in Cost and Available. Alternating current is also available in abundance and is said to be less expensive.
Why is AC used?
The use of AC makes the transmission of electrical power to great distances much more economical. Suppose we need to transmit power W(watts, or more likely megawatts, millions of watts) from the power station where it is produced (by steam turbines or water turbines) to distant users. To make things simple, assume that all currents ...
Does the user get the full supply voltage?
and the user does not get the full supply voltage V, only V –V'.
Do you have to step down voltage before entering a house?
It is also true that the voltage must be "stepped down" back to 110 volts before entering the home: wires hanging high above the ground may hold back very high voltages, but wires in homes and factories are wrapped in thin plastic and inside one's walls, safe at 110 volts but not voltages many times larger.
What is the difference between direct current and alternating current?
The differences between the two types of currents are simple - direct current supplies electricity in a single direction, often through a battery or generator. Alternating current, on the other hand, changes directions in order to keep a steady supply of electricity that doesn’t overpower outlets and other delivery methods.
Which countries adopted AC power?
Countries like Germany, Italy, and Paris adopted AC as a way to power their motors and transmission systems.
Does the world use AC?
But much to Edison’s dismay, the world now largely uses AC as its main form of power. While batteries and small digital devices are powered by direct current, most homes and buildings are wired for AC, which continues to provide a reliable and consistent source of energy around the world.
Why is alternating current important?
An important advantage of alternating current is that its voltage can be simply changed relatively employing a transformer, which permits power to be used at very high voltages before modifying to safer voltages for residential and commercial usages. This reduces energy losses, as presented below (see residential household diagram for more details).
What is an alternating current?
Alternating Current Definition. Alternating current or AC is the particular form of electricity generally employed in homes and businesses around the world. While direct current or DC electricity moves in one direction within a wire, AC electrons modify their direction in a forth-and-back motion. The direction changes between 50 ...
What are the Advantages of AC over DC?
The advantages of AC over DC are several, but the main of them are presented here briefly:
How does voltage stepping help?
Efficient and cheap voltage stepping by employing the transformers. As discussed before, this allows for improvement of energy efficiency in electrical transmission with powerlines. This efficient transmission helps energy companies and the consumer to save money and helps decrease pollution because power plants do not require more fuel. Also, low maintenance costs of particular types of AC motors like high-speed types reduce the price of them. They are also easy to control the current with a circuit breaker generally every 1/2 cycle. For instance, a control breaker may interrupt about 1/20th as much DC as AC type.
How to reduce the magnitude of alternating current?
The magnitude or value of alternating current can be easily reduced without the waste of extra energy. This can be performed by employing a choke coil.
Why is alternating current better than direct current?
The next equation: if the voltage is improved, the current is reduced relative to transmit the same energy . As a result, the voltage within transmission wires is very great, which decreases the current, which in turn reduces the power lost in the transmission process. This is the best reason to prefer alternating current over direct current for the transmitting process of electricity, as it is much cheaper to modify the voltage of the alternating current.
What is AC power?
Alternating current (AC) is the format of electric current produced by various power plants and utilized by most power distribution setups. An alternating current is less expensive to produce and has fewer energy wastes than a direct system when using electricity in long distances. In comparison with direct current, the amperage and direction of AC type vary many times in a second.