When we say there is 110V AC, is that peak to peak?
======================= There is no such thing as 'peak to peak'... the voltage is a function.... is only has one value at any instant in time... it goes up to 110 V average or rms in 1/120th of a sec, then goes nagative the next half cycle. The peak is about 170V (rms x sqrt(2))
Of course there's such a thing as "peak to peak" voltage; it's very often used to describe the maximum expected total "envelope" or "swing" of a given AC voltage or signal. It's generally not much of a concern, though, in electrical power discussions. The "110 VAC" (or 117 VAC or 230 or whatever number you encounter), though, is an "RMS" (root-mean-square) value, which is 0.707 of the peak voltage for a sinusoid. This is the voltage definition most commonly encountered in the electrical power field, as it is the "effective" voltage (i.e., the one you would use in power calculations for resistive loads - for instance, a 100 V (RMS) AC supply results in the same power consumed (and heating provided) by a given resistive heating element as would a 100 V DC supply, all else being equal. Bob M.
Sure I can - just wait for 2 adjacent separate dv/dt = 0 instantaneous events and take the difference [ok, that's cheating] Cheers PeteS
I bet you I can. Now, put your money where your mouth is. Make it worth while, but affordable by you. Don
========================================== You sound like a betting man. I'll give you one reading. You agree that the voltage has only one voltage at any instant? So you can't do it unless you find the positive peak over a whole cycle, and the negative peak over a whole cycle. Sort of a job for some signal processing, or a couple of diodes and caps, or something that will average over 1/60th of a sec. That aint instantaneous is it?
Sure I can, with an oscilloscope. -- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to prove it. Member of DAV #85. Michael A. Terrell Central Florida
110 VAC RMS = 311.08 V P-P -- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to prove it. Member of DAV #85. Michael A. Terrell Central Florida
================================= Nah. If its digital, and I give you one measurement, you get a dot. If its analog, and I give you one sweep, an instantaneous measurement is any height of the trace from zero to the trace. So you could measure the positive or negative peak at that instant, and hope or guess that the other peak would be symmetrical, but you've lost the bet because it would take you two measurements at two instants in time to measure two peak voltages. I win.
** Groper MENACE ALERT !! ** Says a complete fool demonstrating his MASSIVE ignorance. ** Yawn - just like ANY varying quantity. Ascribing magnitude to a steady AC voltage IS the issue - fuckhead. There are 4 ways: 1. Average rectified value. 2. RMS value. 3. Peak value. 4. Peak to peak value. The last is useful where the wave is asymmetrical or remains one polarity - ie the ripple voltage on a filter cap. ........ Phil
I don't think so. First it was you who stuffed instantaneous into the discussion. Peak to peak is obviously not instantaneous. Still, lets go with your "instantaneous", and your single measurement. Install a peak detector circuit, then take a single measurement. At the instant you take the measurement, the cap holding the detected peaks ( + and - ) will hold the peak to peak value. You lose - not that that is important. What's important is below. Peak to peak is understood to be the difference between the highest peak and the lowest peak. http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mastascu/eLessonsHTML/Signal/Signal2.htm#PeakToPeak Lets not confuse the issue by saying peak to peak doesn't exist and specifying bullshit "instantaneous" measurements where a scope shows one dot or a DMM or analog meter wouldn't have sufficient time to respond, let alone show a true reading. Ed
========================================================== You should win a prize for being an ambassador of goodwill from down under. Have you ever been told that your brusk obscene language and outbursts at strangers makes you seem deranged? No one has ever told you that? I bet your coworkers are terrified that you might explode in an apoplectic spasm of tourettes tics if someone says 'Good morning Mr Allison'. I think the manual of personality disorders might have a chapter on Phil Allison syndrome. Pop a cork Phil!