Mathematics of AC Voltages
Alternating currents are accompanied (or caused) by alternating voltages. An AC voltage v can be described mathematically as a function of time by the following equation:
- ,
where
- is the peak voltage (unit: volt),
- is the angular frequency (unit: radians per second)
- The angular frequency is related to the physical frequency, (unit = hertz), which represents the number of cycles per second, by the equation .
- is the time (unit: second).
The peak-to-peak value of an AC voltage is defined as the difference between its positive peak and its negative peak. Since the maximum value of is +1 and the minimum value is −1, an AC voltage swings between and . The peak-to-peak voltage, usually written as or, is therefore .
Read more about this topic: Alternating Current
Famous quotes containing the word mathematics:
“It is a monstrous thing to force a child to learn Latin or Greek or mathematics on the ground that they are an indispensable gymnastic for the mental powers. It would be monstrous even if it were true.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)