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The frequency of direct current (DC) is 0 Hz. The current only flows in one direction, like the electrical system in your car. On the other hand alternating current (AC) as it suggests alternates back and forth from source to load and when graphed it looks like a sine wave. The frequency of this current can vary depending on the source and it's application. Take your house hold electrical system for example, it is AC current with a frequency of 60 Hz (in North America), which means that you will have 60 current cycles a second. There is a lot more to both AC and DC systems and their applications but that's the basic difference between the two.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoAC Current changes direction because that's how the rotating current generator works in the power station. When the big magnets approach a coil in the generator the current goes in one direction, then as the magnet goes past the coil, the current flows in the other direction. So the current constantly changes backwards and forwards as the generator spins. that's why it is called Alternating Current, (AC).
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoIt changes alterations 120 times a second. It changes cycles 60 times a second in North America. In Europe alterations 100 times a second, cycles 50 times a second.
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What are the 2 basic types of currents?
The main division is between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). AC is universal now for domestic and industrial supply, but DC used to be used in some places in the early part of last century. Automobiles use DC at 12V which is I think universal now. AC in domestic use can be at 50Hz (Europe and many other places) or 60Hz (North America), and can be at either 240V or 120V.
What is the difference between electron flow and conventional current?
We all know that, in metal conductors (but not in other conducting media), free electrons slowly drift from the negative end of the conductor to the positive (or 'less negative') end of the conductor. But before anyone knew about atoms, an electric current was thought to be the flow of some sort of 'fluid' from a higher pressure (i.e. positive pressure) to a lower pressure (i.e. a negative pressure) -as suggested by Benjamin Franklin. This error was reinforced by Michael Faraday as a result from his experiments in electrolysis.So 'electron flow' (- to +) describes what is actuallyhappening in a metal conductor, whereas 'conventional flow' (+ to -) is, to put it simply, an error!Unfortunately, because so many 'rules' that relate current direction to the direction of magnetic fields and electric fields were based on conventional flow, many textbooks have found it convenient to stick with conventional flow.
What does current mean in current electricity?
Current, measured in Amps, is the movement of electrons within a conductor. In direct current (DC) circuits, the electrons are always moving in a single direction from the minus to the plus. In alternating current, or AC, the electron flow reverses 120 times each second (in the USA) or 100 times each second (Europe). This is the way electricity is delivered to homes in nearly all of the developed world. Without getting too much into technical details, alternating current allows the use of transformers which make generating, delivering, and using electric power more convenient, cost effective and safe. Current is the actual movement of electrons. Other important measures in electricity are voltage, which is potential force, or ability to cause electrons to move. Power, which is energy released and is measured by the current times the voltage. There are many other measures.
How many wires must a current have?
Current needs only one wire to flow in, but a circuit needs at least two wires to connect the source to the load.
Current has only one loop to flow through in a?
A: All current in a loop must return to the source. A source may feed many loops but all these loops current will return to the source as a collective. ----------- Series Circuit
What direction does wind always flow?
Direct Current, sometimes abbreviated DC. When the current periodically changes direction, that's Alternating Current (AC)
How many times per second does the alternating current generated at large power generator reverse directions?
120
How many megohms need to run a motor?
A megohm is a unit of resistance to the flow of electricity. The requirements of motors are given in terms of voltage, current, whether they are direct or alternating current and, if alternating current, the number of phases.
Why is there only one circuit in the series connection?
Current flow direction is not dependent on whether or not it's in a series or parallel circuit. Current directional flow is solely determined by the power source. For businesses and residential power, utilities use various forms of alternating current. For example, the United States utilizes alternating current that changes directional flow 60 times per second. Some parts of Europe use alternating current that changes direction 50 times per second. Many electronic devices use a direct current source in which the current flow is only in one direction, from negative to positive or a converter that changes the alternating current source power to direct current.
How many directions does current flow through a diode?
A diode allows only current flow in one direction under normal operation. Exceed the operating voltage and it can break down allowing bi-directional flow.
What are the 2 basic types of currents?
The main division is between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). AC is universal now for domestic and industrial supply, but DC used to be used in some places in the early part of last century. Automobiles use DC at 12V which is I think universal now. AC in domestic use can be at 50Hz (Europe and many other places) or 60Hz (North America), and can be at either 240V or 120V.
What current does a capacitor pass?
ac power (alternating current) it blocks dc power Many people will say a capacitor can't pass current because they consider Electric current to be the flow of electrons but that's not necessarily the case. In a capacitor current is passed by the building up and dropping of an electric field. DC does not flow for long of course.
How many anti nodes are in 1.5 cycle of alternating current?
3
Why are electron and current flow in opposite directions?
It's basically an accident. Current flow was defined before science had figured out electron flow.AnswerBefore the structure of the atom was understood, scientists such as Benjamin Franklin believed that an electric current was a flow of some sort of mysterious 'fluid' that moved from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. The high pressure was considered to be 'positive' pressure and the low pressure was considered to be 'negative pressure'. So, for many years, current was believed to travel from positive to negative.Even though we now know that ( in metallic conductors, anyway) that current is a flow of free electrons from negative to positive, for some weird reason many textbooks still show current as flowing from positive to negative! To differentiate between the two current directions, we use the terms 'electron flow', and 'conventional (or 'Franklinian') flow'.
what is dc enerygy?
Direct current (DC) is an electric current that is uni-directional, so the flow of charge is always in the same direction. As opposed to alternating current, the direction and amperage of direct currents do not change. It is used in many household electronics and in all devices that use batteries.
How many hertz in direct current?
Direct current has no frequency, it has voltage. also it has current that is measured in Amperes which is dependable of the resistance of the circuit. Alternating current has frequency because the electricity flows alternatively on both directions. If the frequency of AC is 50hz/s it means that the electricity flows forwards and backwards 50 times per second.
What is the direction of conventional current in an external circuit?
The conventional direction of current flow in a DC circuit is from positive to negative. In reality the electron flow is from negative to positive. Most electronic schematics today still use the conventional current flow when drawn.
