Sine Waves

Sine Waves

Definition

• A sine wave represents one cycle of an alternating voltage or current.

Characteristics of Sinusoidal Waveform

• The coil in an electrical alternator rotates through 360°.

• Output voltage: rises from 0 V to peak, falls back to 0 V, then reverses polarity.

Key Properties

Peak Value

• The maximum voltage of the wave reached on either side.

Peak to Peak Value

• The total value between the positive and negative peaks.

Average and RMS Values

• Average Value (V_avg): V_avg = 0.636 × V_peak

• RMS Value (V_rms): V_rms = 0.707 × V_peak

Frequency and Periodic Time

• Frequency (f): Number of full cycles per second.

  • Calculated as: f = 1 ÷ Periodic time (t)

• Periodic Time (t): Duration of one complete cycle from 0V to 0V.

Calculation Examples

• If periodic time is known, frequency can be calculated.