alternating current
Back-and-forth power
Alternating current is electrical current that periodically reverses direction, in contrast to direct current, which flows one way.
The standard in most power grids, it can be efficiently transformed to different voltages for transmission and use: The house runs on alternating current.
Often abbreviated AC.
Electricity-producing machine
- dynamoMotion-to-electricity converter
- power gridLinked transmission system
- transmissionSending of information
- distributionAllocation across recipients
power lines · substation · utility · wall outlet · load balancing · blackout · brownout · three-phase
Voltage-altering electrical device
- inductorCoil storing magnetic energy
- capacitorCharge-storing circuit element
- resistorCurrent-limiting circuit element
- rectifierAC-to-DC converter
circuit breaker · relay · switchgear · fuse · choke · ballast · voltage regulator · step-up
Force linking charge and magnetism
- sinusoidalWave-patterned, mathematically regular
- waveformGraphed oscillation pattern
- phaseDistinct period in sequence
- impedanceAC circuit opposition
reactance · capacitance · inductance · resonance · magnetic field · Faraday · electromagnetic induction · RMS
Frequency measurement unit
- frequencyRate of recurrence
- oscillationRepeated back-and-forth movement
- sine waveSmooth periodic mathematical curve
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
cycle · harmonics · periodicity · cycles per second · phase shift · crest · trough · ripple
- WestinghouseAmerican industrial inventor
- patentObvious; inventor's monopoly
- inventorCreator of original devices
- Tesla coilHigh-frequency voltage amplifier
generator
Electricity-producing machine
- dynamoMotion-to-electricity converter
- power gridLinked transmission system
- transmissionSending of information
distribution · power lines · substation · utility · wall outlet · load balancing · blackout · brownout · three-phase · single-phase
transformer
Voltage-altering electrical device
- inductorCoil storing magnetic energy
- capacitorCharge-storing circuit element
- resistorCurrent-limiting circuit element
rectifier · circuit breaker · relay · switchgear · fuse · choke · ballast · voltage regulator · step-up · step-down
electromagnetism
Force linking charge and magnetism
- sinusoidalWave-patterned, mathematically regular
- waveformGraphed oscillation pattern
- phaseDistinct period in sequence
impedance · reactance · capacitance · inductance · resonance · magnetic field · Faraday · electromagnetic induction · RMS · hysteresis
hertz
Frequency measurement unit
- frequencyRate of recurrence
- oscillationRepeated back-and-forth movement
- sine waveSmooth periodic mathematical curve
amplitude · cycle · harmonics · periodicity · cycles per second · phase shift · crest · trough · ripple · distortion
Nikola Tesla
- WestinghouseAmerican industrial inventor
- patentObvious; inventor's monopoly
- inventorCreator of original devices
- electrical phenomenalightning, static discharge, electron flow, discharge, conduction
- electricityelectricity, battery, batteries, wire, wires
- currentsundercurrent, crosscurrent, countercurrent, Gulf Stream, jet stream
- inventionsprinting press, steam engine, lightbulb, light bulb, microscope
- AC electricityAC, hertz, sine wave, voltage, single-phase
- current patternsjet streams, trade winds, Gulf Stream
current, alternative, alternate, currently, alternating, currents, alternatives, alternately, alternatively