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AC vs DC: Understanding RMS Values

1) DC circuits produce electric fields that motivate charge carriers to move in one direction, while AC circuits produce electric fields that alternate back and forth, motivating charge carriers to jiggle back and forth. 2) To determine the equivalent DC power supplied to a circuit by an AC source, one must calculate the DC current (iDC-equivalent) that would produce the same power in a DC circuit as the AC source. 3) This equivalent DC current is equal to the root mean square (RMS) value of the AC current, which is the amplitude of the current (io) divided by the square root of 2.

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JIGNESH DESAI
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30 views4 pages

AC vs DC: Understanding RMS Values

1) DC circuits produce electric fields that motivate charge carriers to move in one direction, while AC circuits produce electric fields that alternate back and forth, motivating charge carriers to jiggle back and forth. 2) To determine the equivalent DC power supplied to a circuit by an AC source, one must calculate the DC current (iDC-equivalent) that would produce the same power in a DC circuit as the AC source. 3) This equivalent DC current is equal to the root mean square (RMS) value of the AC current, which is the amplitude of the current (io) divided by the square root of 2.

Uploaded by

JIGNESH DESAI
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Basic Information About Basic Information About

D.C. CIRCUITS A.C. CIRCUITS


A DC power supply is designed to produce an electric field in one An AC power supply is designed to produce an electric field that alternates
direction through the wires connected to the supply. That field motivates back and forth in direction through the wires connected to the supply. That
charge carriers to move in one direction and one direction only in the field motivates charge carriers to jiggle back and forth in the circuit.
circuit.

The symbol for a DC power supply is: The symbol for a AC power supply is:

DC power is produced by setting up a fixed potential difference between AC power is produced by rotating a coil in a magnetic field.
two terminals using a battery or other such source.
The concept of current in a AC setting is less obvious. As charge carriers
The idea of current in a DC setting makes perfect sense. As charge move back and forth, a count of the number of charge carriers that pass by
carriers move in one direction and one direction only, a count of the a point per unit time yields zero net (“average”) current in the branch. As
number of charge carriers that pass by a point per unit time gives us the we do want to assign current-like information to AC circuits, how we can do
current in the branch. this is something we have to discuss in more detail.
1. 2.

The relationship between angular frequency ! and frequency ! is:


Remembering that a battery’s voltage in a DC circuit really tells us the
potential difference between the battery’s terminals (in other words, it’s ! = 2"#
really a !V term), the function that identifies the “voltage” across an AC
source must tell us what the potential difference is between the AC So the voltage function is often written as:
source’s terminals. What makes this a bit exciting is the fact that this
voltage changes with time. V ( t ) = Vo sin ( 2!" t )
The time dependent function that identifies the voltage across an AC
source’s terminals is: That means a resistor circuit in which an AC source exists looks like:

V ( t ) = Vo sin ( ! t ) R

where Vo is the amplitude of the voltage (i.e., the largest voltage the
source can provide), ! is the angular frequency of the source and
identifies how fast the function is changing, and the product !t is an
angular measure in radians (sine functions act on angles).
V ( t ) = Vo sin ( 2!" t )

3. 4.
NOTE that the frequency used in a typical household wall socket is 60
Hz, so the voltage function for that kind of source becomes: Now consider the AC circuit shown to R
the right, and let’s additionally assume
the resistor is really a light bulb. The
V ( t ) = Vo sin ( 2!(60) t ) AC source is providing a certain amount
= Vo sin ( 377 t ) . of power to the light bulb, lighting the
bulb.
We still don’t know that amplitude for this function (no, it’s not 110 volts), V ( t ) = Vo sin ( 2!" t )
but we will make short shrift of that quantity in short order.
The question is: How large would a DC battery have to be, and how
much DC current would that battery have to supply to the circuit so
that the power being provided to the circuit was the same as the power
being provided by the AC source?

That is the question we need to answer.

5. 6.

The key is to determine the DC-equivalent


voltage and current--the DC voltage and R
current that mimics the AC voltage and
current, and to do that we need to look at
the power relationship. Reiterating, iDC-equivalent is the amount of current you would need in a DC
i1
circuit to duplicate the power input being provided by the AC source. But
how to calculate that quantity? We can’t take the average of the current
In a DC circuit, the power being provided by the
V1 in the AC circuit as that will be zero.
battery is equal to:
P = ( i1 ) R,
2

The point to notice is that the quantity we really want is not the average
Following suit for our AC circuit, the AC current, it’s the average of the current squared. It is the current squared
source’s power must equal: R that determines the power.

P = ( iDC effective ) R,
2

where the iDC effective quantity is related to


the AC current but is additionally equal to
the amount of DC current needed to V ( t ) = Vo sin ( 2!" t )
parallel the AC case.
7. 8.
The square of a sine wave function is always positive, and although it From this, we can write:
doesn’t look so in my sketch the walls of a sine function squared are
fairly vertical. As such, we can approximate the average of the AC
(i )
2
= io 2 / 2
current-squared as the amplitude of the current-squared divided by 2. DC-equivalent

(i )
2
i( t) ! = io 2 / 2
DC-equivalent
io
io
! iDC-equivalent =
!t /2
! iDC-equivalent = .707 io
i( t)
2

io 2
As the process used to get this relationship was to take the square Root
of the Mean value of the amplitude Squared, it’s called the RMS value of
io 2 / 2
the AC current. In other words:

!t iRMS = .707 io

9. 10.

Likewise, there is a RMS value for voltage, also. It is written as: For a more graphic presentation, the meters in the two circuits below
will read the same (assuming the resistance is the same in both
circuits). (See if you can’t see why.)
VRMS = .707 Vo

VAC VDC
It is important to understand what RMS values give you. In the case of
voltage generated by an AC power supply, it gives you the single, DC
voltage that would provide to the circuit the same amount of power the
AC power supply does. In other words, if you wanted to take the AC
source out of the circuit and replace it with a comparable DC source, A AC A DC
that’s how big the DC source would have to be to accommodate the job.

Additionally, as a DC meter in an AC circuit would just quiver (the


V ( t ) = Vo sin ( 2!" t ) VRMS = .707Vo
alternating electric field would make charge go one way, then the other
way, etc., and the DC meter wouldn’t be able to keep up with the
changes), AC meters are designed differently than DC meters. In any
case, AC meters read RMS values.

11. 12.
An even more graphic example is a 20 ohm resistor hooked into a wall
socket:

VAC VDC
AC voltmeter reads DC voltmeter reads
110 volts 110 volts
R = 20 ! R = 20 !

AC ammeter reads 5.5 amps DC ammeter reads 5.5 amps


A AC (as RMS meters read DC-
equivalent values and A DC [ as i=V/R=(110)/(20) ]
iRMS =VRMS /R=(110)/(20)
OR, iRMS =.707io =.707(7.78)) i

VRMS = 110 volts


as VRMS = .707 (155.6) ) = 110 volts
i(t)
i ( t ) = 7.78 sin ( 377 t )
(
V ( t ) = 155.6 sin ( 2! ( 60 Hz )) t )
In short, you can start with the DC-equivalent values and determine
their AC counterparts, or go the other way.
13.

Common questions

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RMS values (Root Mean Square values) provide the equivalent DC current or voltage that would give the same power output in an AC circuit as the AC voltage or current does. The significance of RMS values lies in their representation of the effective value of an AC waveform, making it possible to equate to DC values. For instance, the RMS value of current (iRMS) can be calculated as 0.707 times the peak current (io), and RMS voltage (VRMS) is 0.707 times the peak voltage (Vo). This relationship allows devices that measure AC to provide readings in terms equivalent to DC values, necessary because AC meters must physically process the changes within sinusoidal currents and voltages .

The physical changes in charge carrier behavior that differentiate AC from DC current in circuits stem from their directional flow. In DC, charge carriers move uniformly in a single direction through the circuit, driven by a fixed potential difference created by a DC power source. In contrast, AC involves alternating the direction of the flow, causing charge carriers to oscillate back and forth as the AC power source creates a fluctuating electric field, altering charge movement direction periodically. This alternating movement defines AC's fundamental characteristic, contrasting DC's unidirectional stable current flow, crucially affecting how circuits manage power and energy transfer .

A battery or AC power supply affects the potential difference across its terminals by establishing a voltage that motivates charge flow through the circuit, essential for current production. A battery provides a constant potential difference via its chemical reaction setup, ensuring steady current in a DC circuit, pivotal for consistent device operation. An AC power supply alters the potential difference periodically, reflecting voltage changes in a sinusoidal form, inducing alternating currents. This variable nature in AC implies that circuits must accommodate fluctuations for functionality, influencing power delivery consistency and requiring components designed for dynamic conditions to ensure efficiency and reliability .

The average current in AC circuits is not suitable for power calculation because its net value over time tends to zero due to the alternating nature of AC currents. This alternating flow results in equal positive and negative directions, nullifying any average measurement that would reflect AC behavior effectively. To resolve this, AC power calculations rely on the square of the current, which remains positive over the waveform cycle. The RMS (Root Mean Square) approach utilizes the current's square and averages it to establish a mean value that reflects the true power output necessary within AC circuits—iRMS represents this effective reading that allows accurate energy analysis and device design under continuously alternating electrical conditions .

Power in an electrical circuit is determined by the square of the current because power is a measure of energy transfer per unit time, and it relates to the rate at which work is done within the circuit. The expression for power emphasizes the square of the current (P = I^2 R) because it incorporates both the current flowing through a circuit and its resistance, demonstrating that power loss or consumption is not linearly proportional to current. It reflects how energy dissipation in resistive loads increases with the square of the current, underscoring nonlinear growth in power with current fluctuations .

Equating RMS values to DC equivalents in household electricity is crucial because it offers a clear and comparable measurement for AC power, reflecting what would be a constant power supply. For example, the typical household voltage is standardized at 110 volts RMS in the US. This means the AC supply delivers the same power as a DC circuit operating at 110 volts, facilitating device compatibility and safety standards. Understanding RMS values ensures that household appliances receive consistent performance and power stability, designing electric systems as per fixed standards to cater to varied electrical characteristics within homes .

An AC voltmeter's reading can be the same as a DC voltmeter's reading by using RMS values, which quantify AC voltages into comparable DC terms that deliver equivalent power. RMS values denote the effective voltage that would yield the same power output in a resistive load as a steady DC voltage. Involved readings, such as VRMS = 110 volts, facilitate equating complexities within an AC waveform to the clarity of a DC voltage, allowing devices to read RMS values as synonymous with DC measurements, effectively reflecting how most devices understand electricity for performance measurement .

An AC source provides power to a light bulb by delivering an alternating electrical field cycle, which causes charge carriers to oscillate back and forth, whereas a DC source supplies a consistent unidirectional flow of electrons. To equate the power output between an AC and DC source, determining the DC-equivalent voltage and current is critical—calculations derive these using RMS values. For light bulb illumination equivalence, the calculation involves RMS conversion, equating the AC circuit's effective power to DC levels, ensuring similar energy output over the load. This involves establishing iRMS and VRMS for AC measurements to align with DC performance characteristics .

Angular frequency (ω) in the voltage function of an AC circuit, defined as ω = 2πf, is a critical parameter that determines how quickly the voltage waveform oscillates over time. It affects the AC circuit behavior by dictating the speed of alternation of the electric field, influencing how quickly charge carriers move back and forth. In the voltage function V(t) = Vo sin(ωt), the angular frequency establishes the temporal frequency of oscillations, where alterations in ω notably modify the circuit's dynamic response—higher frequencies lead to rapid oscillations impacting component reactance and impedance in AC circuits .

AC meters are designed to read RMS values because RMS measurements provide a true reflection of the effective or equivalent continuous power delivered by the alternating current, regardless of its sinusoidal variations. Instantaneous or peak values fail to represent usable power due to rapid fluctuations and peaks that don't correspond to sustained output. RMS values average the effects over time and express voltage or current in a form that equates to DC standards, facilitating accurate measurement for functionally assessing power delivery devices, capturing their performance compatibility in real-world conditions where power consistency and predictability are vital for reliable operation .

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