AC Question

Please don't laugh, but I was wondering if anyone can tells me what = happens when AC voltage changes polarity and goes "negative" with = respect to ground. Does the electrons now goes from hot to neutral or = neutral to hot. What happens in a simple circuit like a light bulb, is = the bulb actually lit when the voltage goes negative, or is it off but = because the frequency is 60hz, is that too fast for the human eye to = see. Thanks for your help.

Reply to
Herbert Lambert
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It's pretty much like if you were able to switch the leads on a battery very quickly while lighting a bulb. It would light, there would be a flicker (in the US because we 'switch batteries' 60 times a second it's at a frequency of 120 flickers a second. Think about that for a moment and you'll see that it lights up when + is at one end, dims a little when you're switching leads, and lights up again when + is at the other end.

That's a straight answer, I hope in response to a straight question.

Reply to
Tony

It's pretty much like if you were able to switch the leads on a battery very quickly while lighting a bulb. It would light, there would be a flicker (in the US because we 'switch batteries' 60 times a second it's at a frequency of 120 flickers a second. Think about that for a moment and you'll see that it lights up when + is at one end, dims a little when you're switching leads, and lights up again when + is at the other end.

That's a straight answer, I hope in response to a straight question.

Reply to
Tony

when AC voltage changes polarity and goes "negative" with respect to ground. Does the electrons now goes from hot to neutral or neutral to hot.

Ben Franklin was a pretty smart guy but back then it hadent yes been determines theat electrons were negitivly charged particles. We dont really hold it aginst him and call his version "conventional current" or "hole flow". this is the flow of "holes" (the places that the electrons used to be). its particularly useful in describing some solid state circuits.

with "electron flow" it's negitive to positive so on the negitive half cycle... you guessed it, the little critters are running to ground.

lit when the voltage goes negative, or is it off but because the frequency is 60hz, is that too fast for the human eye to see. Thanks for your help.

in an incandescent lamp the light is emitted because the filament is hot. it takes a certain amount of time for the filament to cool down enough so it stops glowing.

remember that the voltage crosses the zero point twice each full cycle and the time duration that the voltage (and current) is zero is zero seconds. (come to think of it, it might be a little longer then that but this would be a matter for someone a lot more versed in theoretical physics then me) in any event its probably a number smaller then the inverse of the Democratic budget.

sorry i can be more comprehensive as this time but you have me wondering about how long it takes for electrons to reverse at 60 Hz... i don't even know where to look that up. maybe that Daestrom person can fill us in :)

Reply to
TimPerry

If the explanation involves electrons, holes, or any microscopic properties, it is not a good explanation.

Bill

-- Ferme le Bush

Reply to
Salmon Egg

sir i didn't get the conventional current flow concept what u said in the answer plz help me in this regard

Reply to
kittu

Think of electrical charge without fregard to its microscopic explanation or rationale. Current is the flow of charge or the rate of change of charge. Mathematically i = dq/dt where i is current, q is charge and t is time.

If this simple concept of calculus is too complicated for you, you have additional evidence of why our country is in a state of technical hurt.

Bill

-- Ferme le Bush

Reply to
Salmon Egg

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