Alternating current (AC) is the most common type of electricity used in homes and businesses worldwide. AC is created by generators and reverses direction at regular intervals. AC is preferred over direct current due to the ease of use with transformers, which are crucial for long-haul transmission and stepping down voltage for consumer use. AC can also be easily converted to DC, making it the best choice for a predefined form of electricity. Some circuits use AC primarily for transmitting information rather than electricity.
Alternating current (AC) electricity is the type of electricity most commonly used in homes and businesses around the world. It is said to “alternate” because it reverses direction in an electrical circuit at regular intervals, usually many times per second. The alternating current is created by an electric generator, which determines the frequency of these oscillations. In the United States, alternating current is generated at 60 hertz, which means that the current alternates 60 times per second.
There are a number of reasons why most power plants produce alternating current rather than direct or direct current, in which electrons are constantly flowing in one direction. First, large generators naturally produce AC, so converting to DC would require an extra step and therefore extra cost. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, electrical transformers must have alternating current in order to work. Transformers are a crucial part of an electrical grid, because they perform the job of stepping up electrical voltage for long-haul transmission, as well as stepping the voltage down to a safe level for use in homes and businesses.
Transformers are simple, inexpensive devices, most commonly found in electrical substations and mounted on power poles near homes. In one type of power substation, transformers take the moderate AC voltage generated by the power station and greatly boost the voltage for long distance transmission. High voltage allows electricity to be transported much more efficiently. Other substations step down the voltage at the end of a transmission line and the electricity is then connected to a local grid. At this point, the voltage is further reduced, just before entering homes and other buildings for consumer use.
Alternating current also has the advantage of being easily converted to DC. This is important in part because many small appliances run on DC power only. For example, many printers, laptops, and battery chargers use an AC adapter to convert household AC power to DC power. The adapters are interchangeable to some extent and are usually included with the appliance by the manufacturer. DC to AC conversion, on the other hand, is an expensive process, making AC the best choice for a predefined form of electricity.
Some types of circuits use alternating current primarily to transmit information, rather than transmit electricity. Information circuits such as those used in telephone and radio transmissions employ varying amounts of voltage, current, and frequency to transmit accurate information. These types of AC circuits aren’t very efficient, but this attribute is actually suitable for information circuits, since their purpose is to transmit data, rather than electrical power.
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