PhysicsCode 9702
Characteristics of alternating currents
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- understand what period, frequency and peak value mean for an alternating current or voltage, and use these terms
- use equations of the type x = x0 sin ωt to describe an alternating current or voltage that varies sinusoidally
- recall and use the idea that a resistive load's mean power, when the alternating current is sinusoidal, is half of its maximum power
- distinguish root-mean-square (r.m.s.) values from peak values, and also recall and apply I r.m.s. = I0 / 2 and Vr.m.s. = V0 / 2 when the alternating current is sinusoidal