By what factor must the voltage measured in an AC circuit be multiplied to obtain the peak voltage value?

By what factor must the voltage measured in an AC circuit be multiplied to obtain the peak voltage value?

• A. 1.732
• B. 0.707
• C. 1.414
• D. 2.0

Answer: (C)

In an AC circuit, the relationship between the root mean square (RMS) voltage and the peak voltage is determined by the mathematical characteristics of a sinusoidal waveform. The RMS voltage is a measure of the effective voltage that delivers the same power to a load as a direct current (DC) voltage would. To find the peak voltage (also known as maximum voltage) from the RMS voltage in a sinusoidal AC circuit, you multiply the RMS voltage by the square root of 2, which is approximately 1.414. This factor arises because the peak voltage is the highest point of the waveform, while the RMS value is calculated by taking the average of the squares of the instantaneous values over a complete cycle. Thus, multiplying the RMS value by this coefficient (1.414) yields the peak voltage, allowing for accurate conversions between these two important voltage measurements in AC circuits. The other options reflect different factors that are not applicable for directly converting RMS to peak values in a standard sine wave.

In an AC circuit, the relationship between the root mean square (RMS) voltage and the peak voltage is determined by the mathematical characteristics of a sinusoidal waveform. The RMS voltage is a measure of the effective voltage that delivers the same power to a load as a direct current (DC) voltage would.

To find the peak voltage (also known as maximum voltage) from the RMS voltage in a sinusoidal AC circuit, you multiply the RMS voltage by the square root of 2, which is approximately 1.414. This factor arises because the peak voltage is the highest point of the waveform, while the RMS value is calculated by taking the average of the squares of the instantaneous values over a complete cycle.

Thus, multiplying the RMS value by this coefficient (1.414) yields the peak voltage, allowing for accurate conversions between these two important voltage measurements in AC circuits.

The other options reflect different factors that are not applicable for directly converting RMS to peak values in a standard sine wave.