Unit 15C: Electrical Circuits and their Applications
Issue date: 24/01/2022
Deadline: 11/02/2022 @ 11:59am
Introduction:
For this assignment I have been tasked with the pleasure of relaying my knowledge regarding AC and
DC electrical current production, uses, risks and health and safety aspects in industrial and domestic
applications.
I am setting out to convey ideas such as AC and DC current, Oscilloscopes, Fleming’s left and right
hand rules in a simple yet educational manner for the reader so that I can demonstrate my
knowledge on both the individual subject matters and on the subject as a whole.
The AC and DC sections will cover everything from simply why they have their respective names to
things such as how AC and DC electricity affects the human body and the health and safety risks that
come along side working with these electrical currents.
I will be trying my best to use my own knowledge, logical thinking and my own interesting
observations and ideas to better present my ideas and portray myself within this assignment.
This assignment will be a combination of things I've learned while researching for this assignment
and things I have already known and will try to integrate both to make an interesting read.
Section 1: - AC and DC current
AC: Alternating Current
DC: Direct Current
Electrical Current flows in 2 ways, as Alternating Current(AC) or Direct Current(DC)
Alternating Current is called “Alternating” current because the direction the power flows in
alternates between two different directions, the current switches directions periodically – forward
and backward. The voltage also reverses because the current’s flow changes when the current
switches directions.
Direct Current is called “Direct” current because the power only flows in one direction and doesn’t
change. Direct Current provides a constant voltage.
Alternating Current is the often the most frequently used electrical current and the most preferred
electric power for household and office equipment such as fans, lamps, TVs, anything that uses an
electric motor most likely uses alternating current; some more examples include toasters,
dishwashers and even fridges. This is because these devices convert the alternating current electrical
energy into mechanical energy.
The majority usage of Direct Current is to supply power to devices that run on electricity and to
charge batteries. Uses include things such as mobile phone batteries, laptop batteries electric car
batteries. This is because everything that runs on a battery uses Direct Current as a power source.
, The major differences between AC & DC:
Alternating Current is quite safe to transfer long distances, even so far as between 2 cities while
maintaining the electrical power while Direct Current can’t travel for very long since it loses its
power over distance.
Alternating Current uses rotating magnets to create the change in the direction of the electrical flow,
while Direct Current relies on steady magnetism to maintain the electrical flow in a single direction.
Depending on the country the frequency of the Alternating Current is different, generally most
countries use a frequency of either 50 or 60 hertz, while Direct Current has no frequency, or rather a
frequency of zero.
This frequency of 50/60 hertz is a big enough deal that smart phone manufacturers have had to add
the ability for smart phone camera’s to be able to change it’s refresh rate frequency/shutter speed
so there is no banding effect when taking a video. If smart phone cameras didn’t match the
frequency of the 50/60 hertz lights, which are everywhere, street lights, house lights, office lights,
any light source will generally be at one of these two frequencies, depending on the country, the
camera would show an imperceivable affect that our eyes won’t be able to see but the camera will,
we can view this affect by looking at the phone while in video mode on our smart phone’s camera.
The affect will look like an alternating stripe pattern or a flicker, here’s an example picture below
(Pictured: Banding effect from a phone camera using a different frequency to that of the light source
in the room)
So nowadays all phones come with anti-banding technology to reduce or remove this affect and try
to match the light sources frequency. This is only a problem with artificial light sources due to its
reliance on Alternating Current. This is not a problem with natural light sources
Issue date: 24/01/2022
Deadline: 11/02/2022 @ 11:59am
Introduction:
For this assignment I have been tasked with the pleasure of relaying my knowledge regarding AC and
DC electrical current production, uses, risks and health and safety aspects in industrial and domestic
applications.
I am setting out to convey ideas such as AC and DC current, Oscilloscopes, Fleming’s left and right
hand rules in a simple yet educational manner for the reader so that I can demonstrate my
knowledge on both the individual subject matters and on the subject as a whole.
The AC and DC sections will cover everything from simply why they have their respective names to
things such as how AC and DC electricity affects the human body and the health and safety risks that
come along side working with these electrical currents.
I will be trying my best to use my own knowledge, logical thinking and my own interesting
observations and ideas to better present my ideas and portray myself within this assignment.
This assignment will be a combination of things I've learned while researching for this assignment
and things I have already known and will try to integrate both to make an interesting read.
Section 1: - AC and DC current
AC: Alternating Current
DC: Direct Current
Electrical Current flows in 2 ways, as Alternating Current(AC) or Direct Current(DC)
Alternating Current is called “Alternating” current because the direction the power flows in
alternates between two different directions, the current switches directions periodically – forward
and backward. The voltage also reverses because the current’s flow changes when the current
switches directions.
Direct Current is called “Direct” current because the power only flows in one direction and doesn’t
change. Direct Current provides a constant voltage.
Alternating Current is the often the most frequently used electrical current and the most preferred
electric power for household and office equipment such as fans, lamps, TVs, anything that uses an
electric motor most likely uses alternating current; some more examples include toasters,
dishwashers and even fridges. This is because these devices convert the alternating current electrical
energy into mechanical energy.
The majority usage of Direct Current is to supply power to devices that run on electricity and to
charge batteries. Uses include things such as mobile phone batteries, laptop batteries electric car
batteries. This is because everything that runs on a battery uses Direct Current as a power source.
, The major differences between AC & DC:
Alternating Current is quite safe to transfer long distances, even so far as between 2 cities while
maintaining the electrical power while Direct Current can’t travel for very long since it loses its
power over distance.
Alternating Current uses rotating magnets to create the change in the direction of the electrical flow,
while Direct Current relies on steady magnetism to maintain the electrical flow in a single direction.
Depending on the country the frequency of the Alternating Current is different, generally most
countries use a frequency of either 50 or 60 hertz, while Direct Current has no frequency, or rather a
frequency of zero.
This frequency of 50/60 hertz is a big enough deal that smart phone manufacturers have had to add
the ability for smart phone camera’s to be able to change it’s refresh rate frequency/shutter speed
so there is no banding effect when taking a video. If smart phone cameras didn’t match the
frequency of the 50/60 hertz lights, which are everywhere, street lights, house lights, office lights,
any light source will generally be at one of these two frequencies, depending on the country, the
camera would show an imperceivable affect that our eyes won’t be able to see but the camera will,
we can view this affect by looking at the phone while in video mode on our smart phone’s camera.
The affect will look like an alternating stripe pattern or a flicker, here’s an example picture below
(Pictured: Banding effect from a phone camera using a different frequency to that of the light source
in the room)
So nowadays all phones come with anti-banding technology to reduce or remove this affect and try
to match the light sources frequency. This is only a problem with artificial light sources due to its
reliance on Alternating Current. This is not a problem with natural light sources
