AC vs DC

are watts directly related to amps(the flow rate).

So to do a job you need 5 gallons of water(5 watts), So the more amps you have from a pipe the faster you could fill up the buckets.

 

I've always liked this video. BTW, the History Channel did a great show on The Current Wars or War of the Currents. You might be able to Hulu it.

 

Huh Edison was kind of a jerk...

DC will cause electrolysis in your body.
Certain types of AC are more likely to stop your heart.

Die slow or fast.

 

Wattage is voltage multiplied by amperage. It's roughly equivalent to the mechanical term "work", or "total energy".

AC is more efficient for transmission as the higher the amperage, the more losses are incurred over distance. So, with AC, you can jack up the voltage and lower the amperage, which leaves the total wattage (remember, that's the amount of energy) the same, and incur less losses when you send the power over a long distance.

It's a fairly legitimate thing to say most of the devices we use convert incoming AC power to DC before they actually use it. Raw AC is used far more in industry than it is in the home, but even there, there are DC equivalents for nearly everything. It's just cheaper to leave it as AC than to convert it first - so a world without AC is pretty well imaginable. Power stations would end up located closer to usage centers, and rural areas wouldn't have power (unless via their own small generators). Over time, this would have led to even more population clustering, and a large disparity between urban and rural populations.

OTOH, a world without DC wouldn't look anything like the one we have now. You literally cannot do the kinds of computations we do on modern computers with AC. We would have light bulbs, refrigerators, and air conditioning, and that would pretty much be it. Information technology wouldn't exist in anywhere near the capacity we know it, which is the main driving force behind the majority of the world's advances for the last 30+ years - so count out anything else developed thanks to computers.

 

Actually DC is better for transmission and here is why:
AC current introduces reactances in the transmission line due to the fluctuating magnetic field. These reactances are inductive and capacitive and represent losses in the transmission line.

In an AC transmission line you have losses due to resistance, capacitive reactance, and inductive reactance. In a DC transmission line losses are due only to resistance, therefore a given voltage can be transmitted farther using DC rather than AC current.

However the problem is:
Most end users of electrical power use AC induction motors in industrial applications therefore most generation is also AC. This standard was set in the early part of the 1900's between GE (Edison) who promoted DC, and Westinghouse who promoted AC. Eventually AC won out, mostly because a DC motor/generator requires a commutator which introduces moving parts and maintenance issues.

Anyway, DC transmission requires rectification of the AC at the source and inversion of the DC at the destination. These processes require large and expensive equipment that if it made business sense, utility companies would be doing this so obviously it is not cost effective to transmit DC power.

 

As electricity in North America operates at both 50 and 60 Hz, and in Europe/Asia 50 Hz, there is a reason for this- anyone care to state why? I know the answer, what I want to see is if you understand what the differences are, and why?

DC is direct current, AC is alternating current- that is to say, DC flows from negative (ground) to positive (so it is believed) in a direct path. AC, however, alternates, it flows back and forth from it's point of origin at the speed of light- it has no true ground- this oscillation or alternation is what is known as frequency or hertz (Hz) -this occurs for what reason?

As well, the reason you cant use AC as a direct source of electricity for computers is simple- DC is a square wave and AC is not. This makes DC a predictable energy source, mostly used for low amperage draw and devices that require correct and stable electrical energy on the whole. It has no actual frequency deviation. AC is a sine wave, DC is a square wave. Both of these energy sources have a different yet very similar - what?

While it is true that as voltage increases, amperage decreases, as well the reverse, this holds true for both AC and DC voltage sources- does anyone know why these characteristics are same for both types of electricity?

The key differences between AC and DC concernng transmission range is potential.

Oh and one other thing- a lighting bolt is what type of electricity?

Once you know the answer to the above 5 questions, you will understand why DC wouldn't be possible to implement on a large scale for consumer use- the main answer I have already given to you- can you tell me what it is?

If the world was to have used DC things would be HUGE, and yes you could and would still have computers, they would simply be driven by vaccum tubes instead of transistors. Transistors are the key to computers and nearly every modern day electrical device. Not to mention the possible detriment to the earth itself, and the safety factors involved for the general public.

 

Edison was a liar and a thief. There's a reason Tesla's research and papers were confiscated by the government after his death.

Good read for anyone interested.

http://viewzone2.com/teslax.html

 

EXACTLY.

One other thing- can anyone tell me what sound, light and electricity have in common and why they are the same thing (so to speak)?

 

Not entirely true. As a voltage source only, the problem occurs when you create a draw, or, use of this volage, potential (ampreage) is lost- therefore the point of electrical work is also lost.

 

We have a variety of ways of manipulating electrons and we use them all depending on what the situation calls for. Both AC and DC systems have drawbacks, AC won. Being on merit, or on competitivness of the men championing them, it is what it is. Unless you are a direct descendent of Tesla, I'm not sure what the big deal is. Feel free to convert your home to a DC system.