DIFFERENCE BETWEEN D.C AND A.C

rishusharmachamba1234@gmail.comIn a closed circuit, an electric current is the flow of electrons. There are two types of electric current .

1. Direct Current
2. Alternating current 

      Direct current:- Direct current has the following characteristics:

1.      It flows in one direction only
2. It always flows from the +ve terminal to -ve terminal of the supply.
3. It may or may not have a constant value. Thus direct current may be 

       (a)  Steady D.C.
       (b)  Pulsating D.C.
A direct current which has constant magnitude is called steady D.C. A graph of steady D.C. is drawn between current (along Y-axis) and time along X-axis. This graph is a straight line parallel to x-axis as shown in figure.

A direct current which has changes in magnitude with the passage of time but flows in the same direction through a circuit is called pulsating direct current. A pulsating D.C. is shown in figure.


Unless it is mentioned, D.C. means steady direct current. D.C. is supplied by cells, secondary batteries and D.C. generators.A circuit which carries D.C. is called a D.C. circuit.

2. Alternating current : An alternating current has the following characteristics:

1.     It changes it's direction periodically.
2.     It also changes it's magnitude with time.

        An alternating current is shown in figure

    A.C. is supplied by A.C. generator/Alternator. A circuit which carries A.C.  is called A.G circuit. Supply from A.C. generator not only changes in magnitude at every instant but also changes it's direction.