Alternating current is defined as an electric current that reverses its direction at regular intervals of time.
Following are the properties of alternating current:
- Frequency is denoted by f and is defined as the number of cycles that either voltage or current has in one second. Hertz is the unit of frequency.
- Period is denoted by T and is defined as the interval of time needed for a signal to be repeated. Period is the inverse of frequency.
| \(T=frac{1}{f}\) |
- Peak-to-peak voltage is the difference between the maximum and minimum voltage.
- RMS voltage is the amount of AC power that is produced by heating which is equivalent to the DC power.
- Alternating current is produced in a generator.
