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The information on the label tells us that the microwave oven needs 120 volts of electricity in the form of alternating current (AC) to operate, and draws 5 amps (amperes) of current during its use. The 60 HZ number means that the current alternates at a rate of 60 times per second.
What does 120V AC mean?
The household electricity our North American appliances use is delivered at 120VAC (volts alternating current) 60 Hz. When the electric current flows it rises from 0 volts to 120 volts back to 0 volts and then it falls to negative 120 volts and rises back to 0 volts.
How much power is 120V 60Hz?
Common household circuits in the USA can handle 15 amps, so that’s 15 amps * 120 volts = 1800 watts, for a few minutes at least. To determine power in Watts, simply multiply Volts times the current in Amps. The 60 Hz doesn’t matter.
What does 60Hz AC mean?
WHAT IS 60 HERTZ? At 60 Hz, the rotor of the generator turns 60 cycles per second, the current changes 60 times per second back and forth, direction changes 100 times. That means the voltage changes from positive to negative, and from negative to positive voltage, this process converts 60 times/second.
Why is AC power 60 Hz?
The proliferation of frequencies grew out of the rapid development of electrical machines in the period 1880 through 1900. Although 50 Hz was suitable for both, in 1890 Westinghouse considered that existing arc-lighting equipment operated slightly better on 60 Hz, and so that frequency was chosen.
What is the average voltage of 120V AC?
For AC from the wall, the rms voltage is approximately 120 V, and the average voltage is about 110 V. The peak voltage, then, is actually 120/0.707 = 170 V. This is half the amplitude of the sinusoid.
Is 120V AC rms or peak?
The 120V is the RMS voltage. And the peak voltage for this is actually 170V. So the peak of this voltage is actually a whole lot bigger than 120V. And if you look at it from peak-to-peak, then the voltage from an AC outlet is actually 340V peak-to-peak.
What does 110v 60Hz mean?
So, 60Hz means that the electric signal or voltage changes direction 120 times per second (once per side), making 60 complete revolutions per second.
What is the wattage of a 120V 60Hz light bulb?
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb T2 Spiral CFL, 2700k Soft White, 13W (60 Watt Equivalent), 900 Lumens, E26 Medium Base, 120V, UL Listed (Pack of 6).
What kind of plug is 120V?
The common 15 amp, 120 volt household outlet (also called a receptacle) is used throughout North America. Lamps, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, etc. plug into it. The outlet has two vertical slots; the U-shaped hole is for the green safety grounding wire.
Why does America use 110V 60Hz?
North America and Japan use 110V/60Hz electricity where as rest of the world use 220V/50Hz. The reason was historical. Engineers in USA originally laid lines for 110 V where as in Europe they did with 220 V. After that, it would have been too expensive to change the system.
What does 120V mean?
A 120V power outlet means that the power outlet across the terminal of pins is 120 Volts. Since the wires cross section is designed keeping in view the amount of current flowing through it and the insulation is designed taking in view the voltage of wire.
Is 60Hz good?
A 60Hz monitor displays up to 60 images per second. That’s why a 60Hz monitor is perfect for novice gamers. For simple games like Minecraft, which are based on few moving images, 60Hz is more than enough. Adventure games like Assassin’s Creed and GTA V run best on a 60HZ screen.
When did 110V become 120V?
In the early 1970’s document C84. 1 from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) included a maximum deviation from standard voltage. In 1984 the NEC was changed so that the standard voltage used for load calculations was changed to 120 volts.
Why does the US use 120V?
Once AC was widely accepted as being superior to DC for power generation, transmission and distribution purpose, 120V (110V) became the standard for AC distribution in USA presumably because it used the “safer” voltage level of the DC system. 230V has lower distribution costs and was popularly taken up by Europe.
Who uses 60Hz?
Most countries use 50Hz (50 Hertz or 50 cycles per second) as their AC frequency. Only a handful use 60Hz. The standard in the United States is 120V and 60Hz AC electricity.Listing per country. Country Voltage Frequency Belgium 230V 50Hz Belize 110/220V 60Hz Benin 220V 50Hz Bermuda 120V 60Hz.
Is 120V AC peak to peak?
Neither. It means the voltage measured by the RMS method is 120V. For sine wave power (which is what you get), the peak is 170V and the peak to peak voltage is 340.
What is the effective value of AC voltage?
The effective value of an alternating current is that current that will produce the same heating effect as an equivalent direct current. The effective value is called the root mean square (r.m.s.) value and whenever an alternating quantity is given, it is assumed to be the r.m.s. value.
What is the peak to peak value of 120 volt AC?
peak Value: It is the maximum value. For a sine wave, it is equal to 1.414 times the RMS value. For example, in a 120 VAC sine wave voltage, the RMS value is 120 V and the peak value is 120 X1. 414 = 169.68 or approximately 170 V.
Is my house 110v or 120V?
If a nameplate on an appliance shows that it has a 110 plug, this most likely means that the appliance is designed to operate at 120 volts, but will continue to operate normally if the voltage drops to 110 volts.
Are all plugs 120V?
The most common electrical outlet in any home is a 110 volt. Sometimes you may hear 110 volt plugs referred to as 120 volt. There are a few variations of the 110 volt outlet based on the size of the breaker associated with the circuit, which is measured in Amps.
Can I use 120 VAC in the Philippines?
A power converter for The Philippines allows you to use a 100-120 volt electrical appliance with a 220 volt Filipino power outlet.
