eli5: how does AC power provide power when it’s just shifting back and forth? Don’t you need to have current going in one direction

Question

eli5: how does AC power provide power when it’s just shifting back and forth? Don’t you need to have current going in one direction

In: 67

Answer 1

For most electronics, you actually need DC power so you have those brick adapters (wall warts, etc). In a computer, the PSU (power supply unit) takes the AC and provides different DC power sources of different voltages.

If you didn’t know those convertors basically take the “negative” part of the sine wave an make it “positive” (ie; the absolute value of the voltage) and provide a steady DC voltage.

Other devices (AC motors, lights, fans, ovens, etc) don’t need DC and work great with AC.