Alternating Current vs Direct Current

Electricity is a form of energy generated by the movement of electrons and is estimated as the flow of charged particles through any medium of the electrical conductor. The amount of electrical energy is known as the current. There are two types of electric currents, namely Direct current (DC) and Alternating current (AC). In the case of a direct current, the electrons travel in one direction, whereas in an alternating current, the electrons flow in both directions. The direct current graph is a straight line, whereas the alternating current follows a sinusoidal wave.  

Alternating Current

The alternating current flows like a sinusoidal wave, i.e. the current starts from zero, extends till its maximum value (amplitude), and thereby again reduces to zero. The current reverses its direction periodically, and this cycle is indefinitely repeated. The time interval when the electric current reaches the same value in a cycle is known as the period. Also, the number of periods per second is known as frequency (Hz). Household plugs provide us with alternating current with 60 Hz and 220 Voltage (V) frequency.

Real-life Applications of Alternating Current

There are numerous applications of alternating current. Some of which are listed below:

• It is widely used in the transportation industry.
• It is used in our homes.
• It is used in electric power motors, converting energy from electrical to mechanical.   

Direct Current

A direct current flows in a straight line, i.e. the electric current travels in a single direction with a constant amount of voltage. Since the direction is fixed, the charged particles (electrons) move from the negatively charged area to the positively charged area. Rectifiers, batteries, fuel cells, etc. help produce a direct current. Semiconductors allow direct currents to flow through them. Rectifiers are commonly used to convert AC to DC. 

Real-life Applications of Direct Current

There are numerous applications of direct current. Some of which are listed below:

• It is quite useful in low voltage consumption devices.
• It is used in electroplating.
• It is used to store electrical energy.
• The energy in solar plants is in the form of a direct current.  

Alternating Current VS Direct Current
Some alternating current vs direct current examples can be differentiated as

Alternating current vs direct current notes:

The direct current loses its strength as the distance it travels increases. Thus, an alternating current is more reliable to use for transmissions.
DC generally deals with low-voltage applications, whereas AC deals with high-voltage applications. DCs are restricted to only resistive types of loads, whereas AC can be used for inductive and capacitive loads. The ammeter is used to measure the AC, whereas the voltmeter is used to measure DC. 

AC waveform:

V(t) = Vpsin(2πft + Φ)

DC waveform:

V(t) = Current(I) * Resistance(R)

V(t): voltage as a function of time

Vp: amplitude of sine wave

f:  frequency of sine wave
Φ: phase of sine wave

Voltage:
The power of AC and DC is measured in volts. Voltage pushes the current from the source to the user and measures the voltage within the range of the two charged points. The voltage is based on watt and ampere and is equal to the amount of power needed to transmit electricity between two points. One volt equals one volume of power per coulomb per charge. Voltage is a platform that attracts or repels negative or positive charging. The amount of power required to transfer electricity between two points divided by the charging size is equal to the current’s voltage.

Power:
Voltage multiplied by the current is equal to power. One can use watts to measure the power of both AC and DC, where 1 watt = 1 joule/second.

Resistance:
Electrical resistance measures the resistance of the electronic component and the flow of electrons. Electrical resistance is measured in Ohms.

Impedance:

Electrical impedance is the total resistance of a circuit or part of a circuit that introduces electrical energy. 

Simple Transformer:

A transformer is an electrical device that is used to change the voltage in an alternating electrical circuit (AC). The ability of this device is a major advantage of AC power over direct current (DC). A simple transformer consists of dual electromagnets, in which there are two sets of wires wrapped around it for the input and output of power. The electromagnet may be in the form of a straight metal object, a horse shoe, or a donut shape. 
The output voltage is a function of the input voltage and the input voltage value. A simple AC converter is basically a dual electric magnet with two sets of wires attached to it to determine the input and output voltages. The AC input voltage passes through the main coil, forming a soft metal core and an AC magnetic field. The soft metal is used because the direction of magnetism can change rapidly with the change of current pattern. Magnetic force is the function of the number of turns of the main coil. you change the magnetic field by turning a second coil on the magnet, making the output voltage the function of the number of coils.

Conclusion

AC is a bi-directional, high magnitude current that can be transmitted over long distances without losing power. In contrast, DC is a low, unidirectional current that should not be transferred remotely. The passive parameter in AC is impedance, whereas in DC it is resistance. The load connected to the AC is strong, resistant, or flexible most of the time. In contrast, the load connected to the DC circuit is always contradictory. AC power can be easily and effectively transferred compared to DC power.