4/6/2017

AC WAVEFORMS AND
THEIR MEASUREMENT
Lesson 10 EET 150

Ac Waveforms
Learning Objectives
 In this lesson you will:
 learn the key points in measuring ac waveforms.
 define the peak, peak-to-peak and RMS values of ac waveforms.
 learn how to measure the period and frequency of ac waveforms.
 define phase shift between ac waveforms.
 learn how to compute phase shift.
 see other waveforms used in electronic and electrical systems.

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Ac Waveforms
Ac voltages and current change polarity are regular intervals
They take on different values as they change with time
Sine Waveform
3

2
Voltage or Current

3
0 2 4 6 8 10

Time

Ac Waveforms

Waveform characteristics- Voltage and Current Measurement

Sine Waveform
+ values

Peak
Value
RMS
Voltage or Current

Value Peak-
to-Peak
0 Value
- values

Time

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Ac Voltage and Current

Measurements
Measurement Abbreviations, Definitions and Relationships

Peak Measurement: Vp or Ip
Peak-to-peak Measurement: Vpp or Ipp
RMS (root mean square) Measurement: Vrms or Irms

Vpp = 2Vp for sine wave

Ipp = 2Ip for sine wave

Vrms = 0.707Vp

Irms = 0.707Ip

RMS values of V and I given equivalent power to dc values of V and I

Ac Measurements –Period and

Frequency

Sine Waveform
+ values
Voltage or Current

0
- values

Period
T (sec)

Time
Waveform repeats over one period

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Period and Frequency

Period, T, is measured in units of time

Seconds (s)

Milliseconds (ms) 1x10-3 s

Microseconds (ms) 1x10-6 s

Frequency, f, relate to period by

1
f (Hz) 
T

Where Hz is the unit Hertz (cycles/second)

Waveform Characteristics –Phase

Shift
Phase shift – time difference between two waveforms
measured in degrees.
WF1 WF2
+ values
Voltage or Current

0
- values

tp = time
difference between
+ going zero crosses

Time

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Phase Shift Measurements

Time difference, tp related to phase shift in degrees by this
formula
t 
 (degrees)   p 360
T
Where  = phase shift in degrees
T = waveform period
tp = time between + going zero crosses

There must be a reference waveform when measuring

Phase shift.

Waveform Measurements-Phase Shift

Leading and lagging signals WF2 crosses zero before WF1

(WF2 Reference)
WF1 WF2 WF1 leads WF2
+ values
Voltage or Current

0
- values

WF1 crosses zero before WF2

(WF1 Reference)
WF2 lags WF1

Time

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Other Waveforms
Square Wave
Positive Peak

2
Voltage or Current

-2
Period
T (sec)

0 2 4 6 8 10
Time
Negative Peak

Other Waveforms
Pulse (50/50) 50% on 50% off

Positive Peak

2
Voltage or Current

Period
-2 T (sec)
Negative Peak, 0

0 2 4 6 8 10
Time

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Ac Waveforms and Their

Measurement
End Lesson 10 EET 150
Coming Next: Measuring Waveform
Values Using An Oscilloscope