Posted by Zoe Geoffrion , on Jul, 2018
When it comes to electricity, a lot of people don’t understand how it all works, mostly because nobody ever really talks about it. There are actually different types of power sources, although some may be more popular than others in a typical home. Doing a little research into the types of power sources, like the AC power source, that might be used in your home could come in handy when you least expect it. Overall, the information isn’t too difficult to learn about.
What Does AC Mean?
An AC power source refers to an Alternating Current, compared to DC which means Direct Current. Alternating Current refers to the movement of an electrical charge through something that alternates between directions. Direct Current would be the opposite of Alternating Current, which means it would stay constantly in one direction. A current refers to the measurement of how much electrical charge is moving from one place to another, and the current is pushed from place to place by a force called voltage.
AC Compared to DC
In most cases, using an AC power source has a lot of advantages over using a DC power source. For example, AC power has better transmission than DC does, because it can be moved through a transformer to make transmission more efficient. On the other hand, DC power cannot be moved through a transformer. Because DC power is much more complicated as well, an AC power source provides better power generation and consumption.
Otherwise, AC is far more popular today than DC due to its versatility and compatibility with current technology. For example, modern lighting is much more compatible with AC power than it is with DC power. On top of that, the wireless technology we use so much of today depends on AC power to work.
