Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Direct and
alternating current
- Direct Current
- flows in only one direction
- Will be a flat line on an oscilloscope
- constant potential and is normally produced by cells and batteries
- electrons always flow round the circuit in the same direction
- a mobile phone uses this supply
- Alternating current
- changes direction
- will be a wavy line on an oscilloscope
- has a potential difference that switches smoothly between positive
and negative values as part of a repeating cycle
- this causes the current to constantly change in size
or reverse its direction very rapidly
- we have ac mains in the UK
- 230 volts
- 50 hertz frequency
- a washing machine uses this
supply
- they are both a flow of charge
- the potential difference can be measured on
an oscilloscope for both currents