ACWerte

ACWerte is a term used in electrical engineering to describe the set of quantities that characterize alternating current (AC) waveforms. They are distinct from direct current (DC) values, which are constant. ACWerte include instantaneous values, amplitudes, peak-to-peak values, RMS (root-mean-square) values, average values over a cycle, and frequency and phase information.

Common ACWerte include instantaneous value V(t) or I(t) as a function of time; peak value Vp or Ip, the maximum magnitude in a cycle; peak-to-peak value Vpp, equal to 2Vp for a symmetric waveform; RMS value Vrms or Irms, the effective value used in power calculations; the average value over a full cycle (often zero for a pure AC signal with no offset); and frequency f and phase φ relative to a reference.

Measurement and representation: These values are obtained with electrical instruments. Multimeters and power meters commonly display RMS values; oscilloscopes show instantaneous waveforms from which other ACWerte can be derived.

Example for a sinusoidal voltage V(t) = Vpeak sin(ωt): Vrms = Vpeak / sqrt(2); Vpp = 2*Vpeak; the average over a full cycle is zero, while the average of the absolute value is 2*Vpeak/π.

Applications: ACWerte are used to specify components, ratings, and safety margins, and to perform power calculations. Real power P = Vrms × Irms × cos(φ), apparent power S = Vrms × Irms, and reactive power Q = Vrms × Irms × sin(φ).