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alternating current

Electric current which periodically reverses direction

EntityQ124164

Also known as AC · AC current

Subclass of: electric current
, periodically alternating current

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time, in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in which electric power is delivered to businesses and residences, and it is the form of electrical energy that consumers typically use when they plug kitchen appliances, televisions, fans and electric lamps into a wall socket. The abbreviations AC and DC are often used to mean simply alternating and direct, respectively, as when they modify current or voltage.

Overview

All data

45 statements · 27% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Opposite of: direct current
alternating voltage
Permanent duplicated item: Q110097341
Cause: sinusoidal signal
Used by: alternating-current circuit

On other databases

37 identifiers linking alternating current across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

27%

externally sourced

Source last edited September 8, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). alternating current (Q124164). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/alternating-current-Q124164