P5 - electricity in the home Flashcards
what is direct current (DC)
current that only goes in one direction
what is alternating current (AC)
a current that repeatedly reverses it’s direction
what is an alternating currents frequency
the number of cycles it passes through each second
what is the mains frequency in the UK
50Hz
compare the potential difference in an AC and DC circuit
AC - PD repeatedly reverses it’s direction
DC - PD does not change direction
where is the neutral wire earthed
the local electricity substation
why is the live wire dangerous
it’s potential repeatedly changes from + to - in every cycle
what voltage does the live wire reach in uk homes
325 V
what are step up transformers used for
to transfer electricity to the national grid
what do step up transformers do
increase size of the alternating current from around 25000 V to 132000 V
what are step down transformers used for
to supply electricity from the national grid to consumers
how much power are factories provided witth
100kV or 33kV
how much power are home supplied with
230V
how is the national grid efficient
the pd is very large, less current is needed to transfer same amount of power
power loss due to resistance heating in cables is reduced
what is the equation to measure frequency of an AC supply
frequency = 1/time taken for 1 cycle