RMSstrømmen

RMSstrømmen is a term used in electrical engineering to denote the root mean square (RMS) value of an alternating current (AC) waveform. The RMS value represents the equivalent DC current that would produce the same amount of heat in a resistive load. This is a crucial concept because AC currents and voltages are constantly changing, making their instantaneous values less useful for many calculations, especially those related to power dissipation.

To calculate the RMS value of a periodic AC current, one squares the instantaneous current, finds the average of this squared value over one period, and then takes the square root of that average. For a sinusoidal waveform, the RMS value is equal to the peak value divided by the square root of two. This value is often used on electrical equipment and in specifications because it provides a standardized and practical measure of the current's effective heating capability. When electricians or engineers refer to the "current" of an AC circuit without specifying it as peak or instantaneous, they are almost always referring to the RMS value.