Question

What are the properties of alternating current?

Answer 1

Alternating current:

1. An electric current that reverses its direction at regular intervals of time, is defined as an alternating current.
2. The charged particles in AC tend to start moving from zero, as seen in the graph. It rises to its highest point before falling down to zero, completing one positive cycle. After that, the particles reverse their direction and reach their maximum in the opposite direction, after which AC returns to its initial value, completing a negative cycle. The same cycle keeps repeating itself.
3. Mathematically, it can be expressed as follows:

$I=I_{\circ }\sin \omega t$, where $I_{\circ }$ is the maximum or peak value of AC.

Properties of an alternating current:

1. An alternating current has no positive or negative terminal.
2. The alternating current produces sine waves.
3. The flow of electric charge reverses on a regular basis.
4. The ability to transport alternating current over great distances without significant energy loss is one of its advantages over direct current.
5. The value of the current will oscillate between the maximum and the minimum value.