I understand the concept of DC, but if electrons are just kind of moving back and forth in one place to produce an electric charge for AC, why do they say it’s necessary to have a path back to ground/ 0V if it’s not “moving” towards ground/ 0V?
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In North America 220V standard home systems are divided into two sections 110V each. For 110V requirements one side of the 220V is used along with the neutral to get 110V.
Neutral is connected to Ground at the junction box. This means that the voltage on the wiring in the house can never rise above 110V for example if there is a lightning srtike on the powerlines.
In North America 220V standard home systems are divided into two sections 110V each. For 110V requirements one side of the 220V is used along with the neutral to get 110V.
Neutral is connected to Ground at the junction box. This means that the voltage on the wiring in the house can never rise above 110V for example if there is a lightning srtike on the powerlines.
You don’t need a path to ground. Consider a 3 wire delta system. No grounds or neutral there for current flow, aside from grounds for protection systems of course.
The voltage will oscillate back and forth, and so will the current. But there will also be a net VA power flow in one direction, based on the difference in potential between the wires.
You don’t need a path to ground. Consider a 3 wire delta system. No grounds or neutral there for current flow, aside from grounds for protection systems of course.
The voltage will oscillate back and forth, and so will the current. But there will also be a net VA power flow in one direction, based on the difference in potential between the wires.
I think your difficulty visualising this is to do with ‘just kind of moving back and forth’. Although the current direction alternates with ac, you still need a complete circuit for current to flow.
If you took a single moment in time snapshot of the circuit behaviour, part way through one half cycle of the ac waveform, it would be little different to a dc circuit with a battery connected one way round. The current would be flowing from hot to neutral.
Then, if you waited half a cycle and took another snapshot, the current would be flowing from neutral to hot. The equivalent of having your dc battery connected the other way round.
Neutral sits at 0V, hot alternates between being more positive than this and more negative than this causing the current flow to reverse direction with each half cycle.
I think your difficulty visualising this is to do with ‘just kind of moving back and forth’. Although the current direction alternates with ac, you still need a complete circuit for current to flow.
If you took a single moment in time snapshot of the circuit behaviour, part way through one half cycle of the ac waveform, it would be little different to a dc circuit with a battery connected one way round. The current would be flowing from hot to neutral.
Then, if you waited half a cycle and took another snapshot, the current would be flowing from neutral to hot. The equivalent of having your dc battery connected the other way round.
Neutral sits at 0V, hot alternates between being more positive than this and more negative than this causing the current flow to reverse direction with each half cycle.
To control where the electrons flow. Without the path back, the electrons will look for a high conductive path to a lower potential, which likely doesn’t exist naturally in the environment in a way that serves the purpose of what you are trying to power.
Just like hanging a swing from a bar with a chain allows the swing to go back and forth through an intentional low point, rather than have you crash into the ground or get stuck in a tree branch.
To control where the electrons flow. Without the path back, the electrons will look for a high conductive path to a lower potential, which likely doesn’t exist naturally in the environment in a way that serves the purpose of what you are trying to power.
Just like hanging a swing from a bar with a chain allows the swing to go back and forth through an intentional low point, rather than have you crash into the ground or get stuck in a tree branch.
Think of a water pipe in wich a piston moves the water forwards and backwards (alternating current).
If the system is closed the water would splash around in the area of the piston.
But if you make a loop of pipes from one side of the piston to the other, the entire water in the loop would move back and forth (ignoring friction/inertia for simplicity)
Now you could put a water wheel inside the pipe with would get pushed forwards and backwards and you can do work with that, grind some flour or something.
That’s the concept of alternating current, piston is the generator, water the electrical current, the water wheel is a motor.
The concept of electricity flowing from one point to another is physically wrong but the simplest way to understand it without deeper knowledge
Think of a water pipe in wich a piston moves the water forwards and backwards (alternating current).
If the system is closed the water would splash around in the area of the piston.
But if you make a loop of pipes from one side of the piston to the other, the entire water in the loop would move back and forth (ignoring friction/inertia for simplicity)
Now you could put a water wheel inside the pipe with would get pushed forwards and backwards and you can do work with that, grind some flour or something.
That’s the concept of alternating current, piston is the generator, water the electrical current, the water wheel is a motor.
The concept of electricity flowing from one point to another is physically wrong but the simplest way to understand it without deeper knowledge
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