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Re: AC electricity



I'll give a partial answer with what I (think I) know for sure. Ohmic
devices don't care which way the current flows (think incandescent bulb) so
in this case energy is delivered to the device during both the positive and
negative cycles to be converted to thermal and light energy. You can look
to other AC devices in a similar way to see how the energy is converted from
the AC signal to whatever form the device produces.

Rick

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Richard W. Tarara
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim O'Donnell" <odonnt@CELINA.K12.OH.US>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 1:20 PM
Subject: AC electricity


I know that AC delivers energy - that is obvious.
But I still have trouble understanding how this is possible
since half the time the potential is positve and the other
have it is negative. It seems they should cancel out.
I know and can do the rms (root mean squared - although
shouldn't it be squared mean root) for figuring out various
quantities, but I still don't think I have a basic
understanding on "how" it really works.