No. If they were the same, they would have the same name.
DC voltage is a steady voltage that doesn't vary with time.
AC voltage is one that alternates between plus and minus values, usually 50 or 60 times per second.
NO, THEY ARE NOT EQUAL.
YES... Both use the same unit of voltage measurment the Volt. While AC voltage can be measured several different ways ( Peak, Peak to Peak or RMS) it is generally referenced using RMS Voltage which is an effective equivalent to DC.
When stating 120VAC it is assumed that this is an RMS value unless otherwise stated. So 120VAC and 120VDC have equivalent electrical pressure (Voltage). This is where any equality between these two types of electricity end as AC causes radical changes in operation of many components compared to DC operation.
What is also different between AC & DC is how the current flows. DC or Direct Current always flows in the same direction. AC or Alternating Current changes its direction of flow periodically ( at one or more frequencies). With AC you always have variations in voltage intensity AND changes in the direction of current flow. Most people then assume that DC is always at a steady state like a battery. But you can have DC with a varying voltage that looks like AC but its current flow never changes direction.
nope, dc is a form of electricity called "direct current" and ac stands for alternative current. the difference lies between the flow of the current..
for example, DC only flows in one direction you have a positive and a negative, so down a live DC cable one side will be + the other will be -
where as AC changes direction over a period known as cycles so think of it as a wave. one wave hits at the end of the cable its positive the next wave will be negative. it basically goes back and forth down the circuit like a yoyo.. the cycles that ive explained as waves are more commonly known as frequency and where im from in england its 50hz a second which means it goes back and forth 50 times a second...enough of the science stuff.
the biggest difference is the fact that ac is the preferred distribution of voltage purely because it can be transported through transformers over long distances and also the voltage can be changed up and down same with the current (but im not going to get into that.
DC can not be transported very far because it looses energy and i think its generally more expensive to try and distribute. so its not used
AC:
homes
supermarkets
farms
street lighting
(pretty much everything you use in your daily activities)
DC:
solar panels
motors
cars
hope this helps, im not scientist but you can go very in depth with this question...
also id like to add that DC hurts a lot more when electrocuted....I know first hand
Yes and no.
DC is a steady supply of a voltage, where it is measured by its average value.
AC oscillates from positive to negative. AC is usually measured in RMS volts, not from peak positive to peak negative values.
The amount of energy in 12V-DC and 12V-rms are equivalent, which I think is what you're asking.
Yes and no. AC voltages are given as RMS values unless specifically stated otherwise. For a resistor the power is given by V^2/R for both AC and DC voltages. The response of a circuit with reactive components will be different for AC and DC excitation.
are they equivalent?
