🔌AC current vs DC current🔋
Electric current comes in two basic forms. The choice between them shaped the history of power grids and still matters today.
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🔌AC current
- ✓Current periodically reverses direction
- ✓Easy to step up or down with transformers
- ✓Efficient for transmitting power over long distances
- ✓Standard supply from wall outlets and the grid
- ✓Frequency is typically 50 or 60 hertz
🔋DC current
- ✓Current flows steadily in one constant direction
- ✓Provided by batteries and solar cells
- ✓Powers electronics, phones and most circuit chips
- ✓Stable voltage suits sensitive devices
- ✓Loses more energy over very long transmission lines
Verdict
AC won the grid because transformers make long-distance transmission efficient. DC dominates inside electronics and batteries. Modern devices convert wall AC into the DC their chips need.
Frequently asked
Why do power grids use AC?+
AC voltage can be raised and lowered with transformers, making long-distance transmission far more efficient.
Do batteries produce AC or DC?+
Batteries produce DC — a steady one-way flow of current.
What converts AC to DC?+
A rectifier, often inside a power adapter, converts wall AC into the DC that electronics need.
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