Difference between AC and DC Current Explained | AddOhms #5

[@AddOhms]

AC Motors use Induction. The coils around the stator (stationary part) create a magnetic field that induces a current on the rotor (spinning part.) The two fields react and cause movement. Since AC is "moving" back and forth, it creates a rotation. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_motor Neither AC nor DC are "better." AC is used for Mains because > 100 years ago, it was cheaper to step it up to high voltages and down to 100/200 volts for use in homes. That's it. And don't forget, "AC" does NOT just mean "Mains" voltage. All signals contain both an AC and DC component.

[@HaharuRecords]

Thank you, you have answered my question...😊

[@christophermacapagal7224]

I've always been confused about AC and DC my entire life, and it's been explained to me in just 4 minutes. Thank you!

[@bitebonumbere1426]

Me too Chris

[@redraprs8828]

Me i

[@dakshdua16]

You may have not tried earlier 🤔

[@yusriarji2969]

We need some simple clue to remember

[@aryanshah3354]

Same as me Chris! Thanks so much AddOhms

[@webchimp]

A little clarity on the lightbulb example used. An incandescent lightbulb has a certain amount of latency in the way it works, so when the voltage drops towards zero the filament takes time to cool and so still emits light for a while. This latency is long enough that before it can dim significantly the voltage has had time to increase on the other side of the sine wave and heats up the filament again. This smooths out any flickering that may occur. If you switch an LED at the same rate (50/60 hertz) you may notice some flickering. Note: the incandescent bulb is actually being lit 100/120 hz rather than 50/60 hz as it lights on both halves of the sine wave or twice a second. The LED only works with current in one direction so this wastes half of the power.

[@dankenlightenment8903]

thanks

[@joeanderson1307]

Super late, but how is LED so much more energy efficient then? I'm going to google but still would be curious for your response

[@webchimp]

@@joeanderson1307 The majority of the energy an incandescent bulb uses goes into heat rather than light. About 95% v 5%.

[@TheKingOfHeartsIV]

In a world where professors and textbooks love to explain things in a complicated way, this video has been simple and easy to understand.

[@tdeits]

Making it so easy to understand would hinder the college’s profits by not being able to fail enough students

[@billgibson6839]

A 64 year old and clueless about electricity. I've had a multi-meter in a drawer in my garage for years and I'm going to figure out how to use it today. By the end of the week, maybe I'll be an electrical engineer - or at least I'll be able to screw in a light bulb.

[@griffintubridy8443]

Love it, you can use it on almost anything. I like to use it when I build PC's to make sure power supply is functioning as intended. The possibilities are endless!

[@notme6951]

This explains why slow motion videos are always flickering!!

[@seematiwari106]

True!

[@sanchitshirol4421]

👌

[@Bloxnz]

just used this video to explain the differences to my son, the use of graphs and examples (and the way it is explained) is ideal for young minds, thanks

[@johnv.8586]

What a great F-ing find!!! This channel goes above and beyond to teach and the little extra effort really shows! Thank you!

[@CryBaby-v5i]

Ahh 😬 u r right✔

[@redsyrup1138]

Best demonstration and explanation I've ever seen on AC/DC. Well done sir! I hope more people see this.

[@kennethpanto3746]

I’m 16 taking college and high school classes about pretty much all of this and this video actually helped a lot ! 😃

[@lotnewlifewhy5190]

I'm 16 right now, in the exact same position as you were, and I can also say this video actually helped a lot! 😃

[@joaopaulosouza4877]

AC DC= High voltage rock and roll

[@silas-hw9274]

F U N N Y

[@7llininthedream]

Every Dad's favourite band

[@zackzallie8735]

@@7llininthedream my dad hates ACDC lol

[@kapridus1144]

@@7llininthedream My dad got me into AC/DC and other rock bands.

[@sardarbilal4046]

Nice

[@TheChicanapride13]

It was very easy to comprehend . the color plus images are what made things come into perspective . thanks !!

[@oneman2768]

thank you for explaining the difference between ac and dc current :)

[@randoms9828]

Thank You this was very helpful more than the hundreds of different websites I visited in attempt to learn this when I come to your video and learn everything I learned in those websites and more in four minutes.

[@amandadarkwood535]

This is the clearest video on ac and dc thank you🙏

[@raisazirus5594]

Thanks for making me understand ac volt / current after these 3 long years of darkness . This is the only one vdo on you tube in which the narrator actually understands AC flow. LOVED IT.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@dalacoque]

"Believe it or not incandescent bulbs are flashing over 50 times per second" ? Since there are two zero-volt intercepts in a single cycle, with a frequency of 50 hz there are at least 100 flashes in an AC current not 50. Right?

[@CryBaby-v5i]

Boy how do u know so much?

[@Muzzletainment]

He said over 50 flashes. So I think you're right but his statement wasn't wrong.

[@johnchatzi4319]

oh come on guys....incandescent it is what you see....it is light from hit....led flash...

[@MahabubAlam-qz9do]

There's a common 0 volt point between every two cycle......

[@SameerKhan-nd5qb]

It totals to 101 flashes per second check it again bro

[@theokingshango]

only real explanation of "direct" and "alternating" out there. wikipedia and quora couldnt handle this, cant explain invisible things without an animaton, thanks!

[@gabrijel.vuk1]

wikipedia is quaking

[@shade0636]

This video was well constructed and very informative. Kudos, thanks.

[@bananatiger]

Thanks for making it quick and simple.

[@tamimabdullah4638]

Oooo... that's why light flashes while shooting videos 3:41 😲🤩 awesome video. Thanks man.

[@MichelleWynn-hq4ju]

I just watched this video as part of my prep before I attend a home inspector course. I know nothing about electricity. This was very clear and easy to understand. Now I know why my videos with Christmas trees in the background often show flickering lights that I don't see with my eyes.

[@ilseboteseiselen8183]

My twelve year old after watching this video got full marks on his electricity test. He says you explain it direct and clearly thank you.

[@goyoalvarez5214]

hey brother... I have a question... we all know that a normal house... need a power of 2 kw to works... right??? now.. i am looking for a 2kw solar panels, and the product says this: 2 kw pure sine wave, but also says in other side 100w 17.5 v, and in other side says 12v 100ha; IS THIS PRODUCT WHAT I NEED TO MAKE MY NORMAL HOUSE WORKS??? thank you..

[@Onkar14]

That one video I was searching.. Thank you

[@garvagarwal4005]

Awesome video! Only criticism is the fact that you said our eyes are too slow to see the flickering. They aren't; they just don't see the flickering due to something called persistence of vision. Otherwise this video was really helpful.

[@thowfiqraja1677]

On of the best explanation i have ever seen brother..! Thank you so much ..! Awaiting for more videos😘😘👌🏻

[@carrieowens4907]

Thank you for explaining it simple and direct.

[@2xchanger]

I have a question,We know that electrons are negatively charged,so they are attracted by positive charge. How do they inter change their direction in AC circuit?

[@binodprasai6722]

Yea mealso

[@ponderin]

Yea. Like I get DC is based of polarity...change sides reverse motor....so I cant run an ac motor? Because then it would rapidly go back and forth?

[@dr.a.n.balaji5312]

I can't understand can u please tell clearly and it is a nice question

[@jerryappleton6855]

Magnets - a magnet has a magnetic field. As it is spinning inside a coil of wire, every time the magnetic field cuts through the wire, it pushes the electrons cresrig voltage. When the North part of the field cuts through, it pushes the electrons (which is the positive voltage) and when it spins around and the South part of the field cuts the wire, it pulls the electrons (which is the negative voltage). It spins in the US at 50 hz (50 times a second) so you get 100 peaks or "pushes and pulls" and max voltage 100 times a second. It happens so fast our electronics don't slow down and we don't notice.

[@jyotibansal5217]

The current changes direction by commulater...commulater is a device which reverse the direction of current...it consists of spil rings brushes....u will learn this in AC Generator....

[@robeyclark]

Do incandescent bulbs really flash? I get that the voltage is doled out in tiny increments, but does the filament have time to cool down enough to darken in-between?

[@AddOhms]

The flicker. There are videos on youtube with high speed cameras.

[@tanyadrouillard9301]

Great video, thank you. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each current type? It seems like DC would be a better, more efficient and straight forward choice, no?

[@CelebrianUndomiel]

I believe that DC takes more energy because electricity has a naturally alternating current, therefore to create DC, you have to force it to go in one direction. This can cause more overloads. I'm not that well versed in electrical engineering though so correct me if I'm wrong 😂

[@AddOhms]

Nothing you said is correct.

[@deandevereaux9825]

@@AddOhms I was going to ask the same question. You told Ksenia very delicately that she wasn't correct but you didn't clarify. Care to clarify?

[@AddOhms]

@@deandevereaux9825 Which part? Everything was wrong. There is no efficiency difference. AC RMS is virtually the same as DC.

[@Thebestoneever_]

@@AddOhms ac travels long distance , can’t use dc is transformers.

[@beetogarcia9983]

Is it difficult to become a electrician? I’m about to go to school for it next week and I’m a bit nervous

[@AddOhms]

You bet Paul, it was fun having you in the class!

[@codmlover6008]

Is this the paul from engineering mindset?

[@AliKhan-mg3mj]

how can the light get dimmer if the current is the same doesnt low voltage mean less current?

[@JayBe443]

I used to work as a caregiver for adults with autism, I found out that some people are sensitive to incandescent lights. They explained it to me as if the lights were blinking, this sums it up pretty it well.

[@MrAmo713]

Wow. perfect explanation, awesome video! subscribed!

[@bngbraz2]

I think that was the most practical and simplified explanation ever. Good job!

[@Reaper69673]

Yeah

[@therichardchannel]

So that's why light bulbs flicker in slow motion....

[@muhammad233]

in this video...the blinking of bulb in slow motion is for our understanding......in alternating current ,bulb blinks 60 times(in U.k etc) or 50 times(in Pakistan) in one second.....so its not possible for our eyes to judge this type of blinking...

[@alchemy1]

So how many times would you say direction of current changes in an AC 60Hz system? Would you say 60 or 120? I know you stopped at one cycle in your graph to see its corresponding animation current direction, that is too bad because it would have proved my point that the current changes 120 times in one second. Will, more like 119 times to be totally precise. The light flashes every time it crosses the line. Flash means change in direction.

[@patrickalerta2623]

Very good explanation, thanks

[@MrGatoka]

Great work! Is this why monitor screens and light bulbs hooked up to an AC power source appear to be fluctuating in intensity in certain video recordings?

[@AddOhms]

It happens when the monitor's refresh frequency is out of sync with the camera's shutter speed.

[@fatboy117]

I finally understand after all these years of research.

[@colinpiper6280]

Very good explanation. In an AC circuit is the direction of flow controlled by the power source (the outlet) or the appliance (the light bulb)?

[@AddOhms]

The source.

[@bertrandruskin3406]

Thank you. Extremely well produced.

[@jzam2847]

Amazing guide; quick, easy to understand, and great explanation thank you.

[@rosykay8046]

Thank you for the explanation!! Really helpful

[@CryBaby-v5i]

Yeah Rosalie it was helpful

[@sosgds]

Would you say these principles also apply to a DC and AC motor? As in an AC garage door motor vs a DC garage door motor?

[@AddOhms]

No. AC motors are built different. They use induction to rotate, making use of the AC field’s movement.

[@sosgds]

@@AddOhms so then does the induction work like the AC current to a bulb? How does that doffer from the DC motors to Garage Door?

[@AddOhms]

No. Induction has nothing to do with light bulbs.

[@sosgds]

@@AddOhms ok thank you.

[@1122sudesh]

thank you very much AddOhms, this was the best collection for my knowladge, thanx again, do best thing always,good luck :)

[@Javaexperience]

Also check the article from askanydifference which goes into minute details of Alternating and Direct current differences.

[@terrashine1353]

Very informative. I like 👍

[@hooriyaasghar9750]

I am completely cleared with all my questions.This video is the best one

[@sharonbarnes1946]

Good video, easy to understand, thank you for teaching me.

[@tauceti8060]

I have 2 question:1 What causes AC current to alternate? 2 Laptops use a DC battery so why are we able to charge it using an AC outlet at home? Any answers will be appreciated.

[@AddOhms]

Alpha581 1) Electrical Generators are huge spinning magnets inside of wire coils. As the magnet spins around, magnetic energy is converted into electrical energy. This creates the alternating current/voltage. 2) Laptops use AC to DC converters to convert your 100-200V wall-AC into the DC voltages the laptop's electronics operate on.

[@tauceti8060]

AddOhms Thanks for answering.

[@harshtambi6390]

amazing work@!!!

[@nicolasferzly5424]

thanks for the great explanation. so when are AC and DC? what are their advantages/disadvantages?

[@JPahang27000]

i learn something new today~~~ thank you ! i subscribed already~~~

[@danceworld3376]

U r direct like direct current.

[@kenchai8586]

thanks buddy nice simple video with really understandable explanation... thanks again its really help

[@josiegreen183]

Thank you very much this is extremely helpful!

[@jinayjogani5951]

Hi, so you talked about how are eyes are unable to see the fluctuating light due to its frequency, but if you notice whenever you record a video with anything digital recording, like your lights or clock, we see it flashes, so is that the same with regard to A.C?

[@AddOhms]

Yes. It is called "persistence of vision."

[@cryptid1925]

Very well explained! Thank you so much :)

[@brandon_gb]

Still the best explainer video of ac and dc to this day.

[@paupiahjesher7543]

So, if AC in light bulbs have a frequency of 50Hz and that the bulb is flashing 50 times a second. so what if we connect AC to a fan? does it change direction?

[@jacobjochem]

Paupiah Jesher my question exactly

[@brettcitro8961]

If a DC fan was connected to an AC circuit, yes it would try to alternate back and forth very quickly; however, the motors used in AC circuits is actually a different kind of motor all together. AC motors use both current directions to their advantage to rotate the motor. Here is a video on how an AC motor works kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF7dY2ejq8eJqJo

[@MrERROKK]

Ac motors use a rotating magnetic field which utilizes the frequency of the alternating current to make them more efficient. Take a moment and look up a few vids, lots of good info out there! Good question BTW

[@regal394]

Man this was an excellent simple breakdown

[@rayyeakey1388]

Do all of the electrons move or just bump into each other?

[@GtmNayan]

I'm still a bit confused. Does the current come from the live wire and then from the neutral wire then again from live, so on and so forth?

[@AddOhms]

No. Current is a complete loop. It does not "come from" either terminal. Neither potential "adds" or "removes" electrons. In the case of mains AC, they are just moving back and forth. Live or Neutral doesn't matter from a current perspective because, again, they move in a loop. Explained more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6u8YaqrrdlkiJo. And here: www.baldengineer.com/current-flow-myths.html

[@nafizahmed1983]

Awesome video deserves a lot....

[@tdeits]

I’m 22 years old and just learning about this. Thank you!!

[@JeeteshChaturvedi]

I think the bulb should flash 100 times in a second, considering supply frequency of 50 Hz. Twice in each cycle, isn't it? See at 3:35.. Correct me if I am wrong.

[@maredowen8988]

yeah i'm pretty confused with right now

[@jfmclaugh]

+Jeetesh Chaturvedi AddOhms is wrong, you're right: 60 Hz flashes 120 times/sec. A mistake in an otherwise excellent presentation

[@AddOhms]

+Joe McLaughlin Not the first time. :(

[@jfmclaugh]

+AddOhms I hear ya brother

[@JeeteshChaturvedi]

Definitely its an excellent explanation.. :)

[@instrumentalistjade8367]

hi.. i used a ac power supply 14v ac 800ma to my guitar effects pedal 9v dc 2.5 ma. after an hour of playing the pedal shutdown.. and the power adapter is hot. its fine if the adapter is damaged but i hope my pedal still works fine. whats your guess? thanks.

[@AddOhms]

However if you are supplying a 14Vac signal into a 9Vac device, I could see a problem. Sorry, not enough information to help.

[@Yobachi2007]

So in the battle between Telsa and Edison what was the issue as to which type of current was better. Why did the world decided on AC? Thanks.

[@gdogvibes1]

AC is a hell of a lot cheaper.

[@Yobachi2007]

How so?

[@gdogvibes1]

Many reasons, one well known reason is that It's currently cheaper to transmit electricity over long distances using AC than using DC.

[@cboisvert2]

AFAIK, two reasons: 1- generators make AC current; and 2- AC current is easy to transform in higher or lower voltages. High voltages are great for transport in power lines but dangerous at home. Edison favoured not just DC current, but local generation of power (a generator in every home or housing block), but Tesla was convinced that big power stations generating for whole cities, then distribution grids was the way to go.

[@Yobachi2007]

Charles Boisvert Thanks for that more detailed explanation.

[@deanhenthorn1890]

Since AC flows both directions, how do power companies calculate electricity used? Does AC actually flow past a given load and return back to the original source? like DC?

[@AddOhms]

The power company charges you for the power that is consumed. Moving the electrons back and forth, which are carrying the charge, takes energy. That energy is what powers devices in your home. The meter measures how much power they consume (converting energy into heat or light or whatever). The electrons moving back and forth are just the conveyor belt for that power delivery. Moving it back and forth takes energy.

[@alexwillenberg8439]

Simple, easy to digest. Thank you for the insight!

[@everfreeeeee]

For some device said use DC power 12V is that mean only able to use 12v battery ? Is 5v conider as dc or ac?

[@AddOhms]

The circuit or device has to specify. But it is probably DC

[@jerrybomcool]

I understand now! Thank you!

[@whoeverwhoever400]

So when i see LED light flashing through camera, does it mean it's running in AC?

[@AddOhms]

They are flashing on-and-off, but at a very fast rate. LEDs use pulse-width-modulation. Which is considered small-signal AC. They are still considered digital though, because they are only on or off. no in-between state.

[@jm08a31]

AC and batteries confuse me. Also, if they just go back and forth, will they ever get back to the positive side of the energy source? This confuses me!

[@AddOhms]

+Hyper Electrons are the carriers. They don't have to get all the way back around. Work being done is the energy source pushing the electrons back and forth.

[@hakeemsd70m]

AddOhms very good exclamation! This helped me out a little bit , I appreciate it!

[@gabrielsosa2277]

Thanks for the video. Well articulated and brief!

[@witchwheeze397]

"bulb is actually flashing 50 times per sec"....my whole life was a lie

[@610ab]

rs

[@sagresgameplay1404]

Yaa...i noticed it when recording videos in slow motion camera in my bedroom Lightbulb intensity fluctuate

[@patrickhorlaville]

Not sure I understood; can there be an AC current and DC voltage at the same time? how are current and voltage related for that matter? can we pick any configuration? Or if current is AC, then voltage necessarily is AC too?

[@AddOhms]

Ohms’s Law says you can’t have current without voltage. The point I making in the video is that we sometimes refer to “AC voltage” even though the C means current. “AC Voltage” means a voltage that is changing. If there is AC current, then there is AC voltage.

[@reubendapiton573]

So thats wjy sometimes the light flash on and off when you are in super slowmo

[@NovaWarrior77]

Woah! True!

[@MyrahOfficial]

Exactly

[@rdbendixen]

Except probably not for incandescent bulbs. If you still have any, you’ve no doubt noticed that the filament (tungsten metal usually) still flowed for a moment after you cut the power. The cycle time is so fast that the filament stays at a relatively constant brightness while the power is on. But I believe this flashing phenomenon is why old and cheap LEDs make your waving hand in front of them appear to strobe. Also why LEDs strobe when you play back a slow motion video with LED light.

[@DodgeChargerPursuit]

This should have been in the curriculum when I went to school, thanks for the knowledge

[@aminwali6136]

Now i can understand “The Current War” accurately

[@Len1977gt]

lol

[@hipoo2266]

This helped ALOT with my science project coming up thank u sooo much

[@Comoshun]

Hi Poo How are ya?

[@yoannesleonardi6799]

AC:air conditioner DC:detective comics

[@photonpotato2490]

What an awesome video! It cleared so much up for me, thank you!

[@AltieCX]

Love it!!!

[@kartikmittal35]

At 2:52, you said current flow stays the same but voltage goes down.... But acc to ohms law this statement doesn't satisfies? So how do you do it?

[@AddOhms]

+kartik mittal Ah. I did not word it well. I meant the current flow's direction, not the amount. You bring up a good point and something I didn't do in the animation. As the voltage drops, the current should be slowing down.

[@dylan-ww7sm]

BACK IN BLACK

[@ingyinhmwe8015]

Thank you so much for this simple explanation.

[@maxxgunner5573]

AC/DC = I'm a Live Wire! I'm a gonna set this town on Fire! (guitar solo)

[@Muzzletainment]

I have one point of confusion. When drawing the V vs Time graph for AC you say that the voltage increases and then decreases. But you say that the current stays the same. Since V=IR how is this possible?

[@AddOhms]

Mistake on my part. For this discussion we can say resistance stays the same. So current reduces too. (resistance changes with temperature)

[@Muzzletainment]

@@AddOhms wow thank you for such a quick response! Cheers!

[@howtofingerboardtutorials9044]

What the heck? I thought this was bout the rock band acdc. DAMMIT

[@endingobject5200]

Hey, so I am looking into converting my car into an electric car. i did some research in on Tesla Model S and found that they convert DC (Battery Packs) to AC. Does that just mean that the AC will provide more energy when trying to turn the drive shaft? how does DC and AC compare on voltage output i guess?

[@AddOhms]

Well, if they used a DC motor, they couldn’t have called it a Tesla. :) It uses an AC induction motor which does not have permanent magnets. One advantage is that without those, the weight is very low compared to a DC motor. Since there is no magnet, an electromagnet is formed within the rotor, which means the stator must induce a current. That can only be done with AC.

[@jsoni1978]

why we need this two type of current ?

[@kaanakcam3494]

becuase its easier as it would be hard if you used DC in both lighbulbs and batteries if you even listened

[@loverandjoy]

Does that mean something that runs on AC appliances will not take charge from a DC current appliances this being for example a battery charger or can an AC do both?

[@squelchedotter]

My real question is: what for? why not use DC for everything!

[@wanderingsailor5503]

+ATschTheCube I'm not the most educated on this but I have my theory :P. I think it might be because of the frequency fluctuation with the AC. Think about it, DC is running at a constant voltage, while AC has a change in voltage so the polarity can be reversed. This periodic change in voltage can be more efficient in conserving energy. That's my theory. Maybe I'm right...I don't know :P.

[@Cypeq]

AC is easy for home, because plug is not polarized and you can plug it either way and you device works, further more in DC devices there has to be considerable measures taken when you plug the power in the wrong way normally this destroys DC operating devices. Also most of home devices operate motors, and motors work on AC current, your fridge fan, lights and electric ovens all operate on AC without need of much extra circuitry. It's only for a couple of decades we have many DC devices like computers, but still majority of your home appliances rely on AC for power. AC is better for long distance travel. Every time you need to convert from AC to DC there's hardware and power loss, and as I said all power hungry devices run on AC by default. There are also transformers which must be supplied with AC and alow easy change of voltage. Really AC is just better we only use DC when it is necessary for the operation, that mostly is in electronics.

[@Cypeq]

+realstuff steve, the problem here is the ohms law is just explaining relations, it disregards power and power losses, which is result of electricity flow the work, it doesn't come without jules and watts law.

[@rajshah7433]

hey cypeq,good explanation but how is alternating nature of current or voltage produced?

[@rolipande77]

Dc results in loss of energy in form of heat .. That's why

[@kosiuchun8260]

Hi, i have a question, if the battery in the dc circuit will run out over time(voltage), then why wouldn't the voltage in the ac circuit won't run out? thanks for replying!

[@AddOhms]

+Ko Siu Chun If an AC battery existed, then it would run out.

[@kosiuchun8260]

Hi, thanks for replying, however i got another question, how does the higher voltage and lower current, lower voltage higher current work? i saw it on the wikipedia and it says to work it requires the same battery? or something similar, and i dont really understand it, do u mind explaining?

[@zkybi]

Oh i know what you mean HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK N ROLL

[@evaandkya]

When you have a flickering light bulb, does that have anything to do with the AC?

[@KajanLakhan]

Thanks. I wonder what a dog 🐶 sees? Their 👁 eyes are much quicker than ours

[@tipsyouneed5895]

your video is great and informative,thanks for ur explaination and Dear sir i have a question ;if current direction changes in Alternate Current then why we use neon testor on phase wire. when we use neon tesor on phase the light in testor glows.if we use neon testor on neutral wire the light or indicator doesent glow though in alternate current the current chanes its direction and neon tester light/ indicator should be glowing on both wires ie phase and neuter.any logic

[@AddOhms]

I don't know what a neon tester is or how they work. Neutral is connected to Earth, which probably why you see a difference.