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RMS stands for root mean square. This is done so that negative values are then treated as positive values. In AC power for example, the voltage varies between a negative and a positive value. The number is squared and then the square root of this value is taken and the mean (average) of these numbers gives the answer. For example -40 is squared to become 1600 and then the square root of 1600 is taken to become 40 (a negative number becomes a positive number).If this wasn't done then the average value of AC power would be zero.

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16y ago

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