RMS Value of an AC Sinusoidal Waveform

Darren Elazegui1, Jomari Mager S. Ferias2, Paul Gerard C. Gonzales3, JD Mallonga4, Jorge P. Pasia III,5, and Jalour Santos 6, MIT "
1

darren619_2000@yahoo.com, 2jetmomo03@yahoo.com.ph, 3pgerard2000@yahoo.com,

4

slim_jd_705@yahoo.com, 5jorjie_engot019@yahoo.com.ph, 6jalour_2@yahoo.com

Abstract RMS or root mean square is a statistical measure of the magnitude of a varying quantity. It is especially useful when variates are positive and negative, like sinusoidal waves. It is also known as the effective or virtual value of the alternating current (AC). The experiment aims to investigate the RMS value of an A.C. sinusoidal Waveform and the power they carry. The RMS of an alternating current (AC) is of considerable importance in practice, since that the ammeters and voltmeters record the RMS value of alternating current (AC) and voltage respectively. The RMS value of symmetrical sinusoidal alternating current (AC) is 0.707 maximum value of current. Index Terms root mean square, sinusoidal alternating current, steady current I. INTRODUCTION AC voltage alternates in polarity and AC current alternates in direction. We also know that AC can alternate in a variety of different ways, and by tracing the alternation over time we can plot it as a waveform. We can measure the rate of alternation by measuring the time it takes for a wave to evolve before it repeats itself (the period), and express this as cycles per unit time, or frequency. In music, frequency is the same as pitch, which is the essential property distinguishing one note from another.

Another way is to measure the total height between opposite peaks. This is known as the peakto-peak (P-P) value of an AC waveform

One way to express the intensity, or magnitude (also called the amplitude), of an AC quantity is to measure its peak height on a waveform graph. This is known as the peak or crest value of an AC waveform

One way of expressing the amplitude of different waveshapes in a more equivalent fashion is to mathematically average the values of all the points on a waveform's graph to a single, aggregate number. This amplitude measure is known simply as the average value of the waveform. If we average all the points on the waveform algebraically (that is, to consider their sign, either positive or negative), the average value for most waveforms is technically zero, because all the positive points cancel out all the negative points over a full cycle

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The average value of a sine wave is zero. For pure waveforms, simple conversion coefficients exist for equating Peak, Peak-to-Peak, Average (practical, not algebraic), and RMS measurements to one another II. METHODOLOGY Measured Values DC Voltage 10V AC Voltage 10V AC Voltage(peakpeak) 10V AC Voltage(peak) 5V

potentiometer and observed that the waveform in the oscilloscope crosses beyond the zero voltage axis. The reason for this is due to the high resistance of the potentiometer when being varied which resulted to high voltage output.

Then we changed the DC source to an AC source. We measured a 5 AC voltage peak and a 10 AC voltage peak-to-peak in the oscilloscope which illustrates a sine wave. The voltage and current readings here are all RMS values and we used this to compute for the AC voltage peak which was 14.14 volts. We also measured 18.56 mA as the AC current. We computed the AC current peak using the RMS values of the current and multiplying it to square root of 2 and we arrived with a current of 26.25 mA then multiplying it to 2 to compute for the AC current peak-to-peak.

Calculated Value AC Voltage (peak) = 14.14V So, with the data obtained, we are able to conclude that the RMS value and DC gives the same power to an element and this is manifested in the input current measured in both DC and AC inputs. The RMS value of an alternating current (AC) produces the same heat as produced by a steady current or direct current (DC). IV. CONCLUSION This experiment is about the RMS value of an A.C. Sinusoidal waveform. Here we can see that the root mean square or the RMS value of an alternating current is given by that steady current DC which when flowing through the same circuit for a given time produces the same heat as produces by the alternating current when flowing through the same circuit at a given time. In other words The RMS value is the effective value of a varying voltage or current. It is the equivalent steady DC (constant) value which gives the same effect. Based on this experiment we can now relate DC and AC quantities with respect to the power delivered to a load. We can now determine the amplitude of a sinusoidal AC current required to deliver the same power as a particular DC current. We know that irrespective of direction, current of any magnitude trough a resistor will deliver power to that resistor. In other words, during the positive or negative portions of a sinusoidal AC current, power is being delivered at each instant time to the resistor or element.

Measured Values DC Current 18.901 mA AC Current 18.56 mA

Calculated Values AC Current (peak-peak) 52.496 mA AC Current (peak) 26.25 mA

III. RESULTS Experiment 1 of Circuits Lab 2 was done for us to investigate the RMS (root mean square) value of an A.C. Sinusoidal Waveform and the power that it carries. This was done by building the circuit needed that was illustrated in our laboratory manual. The first value that we obtained was a DC current that was seen in the oscilloscope as a straight line and also a voltage reading in the VOM. These values were 18.901 mA and 10 volts which was the input voltage of the circuit. We varied the setting of the

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If we equate the Power delivered by a DC and an AC source we can say that the equivalent DC value of a sinusoidal current or voltage is 1/sqrt of 2 or 0.707 of its maximum value. VRMS = 0.7 Vpeak and Vpeak = 1.4 VRMS REFERENCES [1] C. K. Alexander, M. N. O. Sadiku, Fundamentals of Electric Circuits, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2007, pp. 6-15

[2] R. Nave, Ammeter Design, http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/HBASE/magnetic/ammet.html [3] Young, Freedman, University Physics with Modern Physics, 11th Edition, Pearson Education Inc., 2004

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