What is alternating current?
Asked on: Sep 12, 2023 06:22 AM
2
Alright kiddo, imagine you're on a swing. You go forward and back, then forward and back again, right? Well, electricity can do something similar! Alternating current (or AC for short) is like the electricity version of you on a swing. It goes one way, then the other way, over and over again.
Now think about when you're playing with your toy cars. You push them forwards only, right? That's like direct current (or DC). It only goes in one direction. But alternating current is more like your swing - it goes backwards and forwards.
So why do we use this funny swinging type of electricity? Well, it's easier to send it long distances - like from the power station to your house. So next time you turn on your light or TV, remember that the electricity doing that has been swinging all the way from the power station to get to you!
Now isn't that electrifyingly amazing?
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