Difference between AC and DC current

[chand00786]

I want to know that what is the difference between AC current and DC current.Can I measure AC current with dc ampare meter or DC current with AC ampare meter.

 

[chandru123]

I want to know that what is the difference between AC current and DC current.Can I measure AC current with dc ampare meter or DC current with AC ampare meter.

Hi,
AC is alternating current and it has direction on bothside means positive to negative and negative to positive

DC is direct current which only one direction

i am not sure about that to measure AC current by using DC Ampare.

 

[MRAMA]

DC (Direct Current) always travels in the same direction. imagine a band saw. the blade is always moving in the same direction at the point where the work (cutting) is being done.
AC (Alternating current) essentially goes back and forth. imagine a jigsaw, reciprocating saw (sawzall) or hand saw. the blade moves back and forth at the point where the work is being done.
this is a pretty crude comparison, but it gives you a basic understanding of the behavior of the electricity.
there are advantages and disadvantages of both forms of travel:
DC is very simple. it can come from a battery, or a DC generator. DC motors are very simple: they have a winding and a magnet, and when DC is applied to the winding, with a mechanical switch for reversing the current every time the motor turns 180 degrees, the motor will run just fine. however, DC voltage cannot be "transformed" easily. most times, to increase the voltage of DC, it must be converted to AC in the process.
AC is not so simple: you cannot store AC in a battery, it must come from an AC generator (also called an "alternator" simple AC motors must have additional parts to make the motor start properly. however, for industrial applications, "three phase" or "rotary" power is applied. this, while complicating the wiring a little bit, makes the motor even simpler than a DC motor. AC can also be "transformed" to a different voltage, simply by using a magnetic transformer. This is the primary reason why most power distribution systems use AC power: they send it from the power plant at about 100,000 volts; at the substation, they transform it to around 10,000 volts, and at the pole outside your house, they reduce it to 240 volts (in America - voltages change from country to country) then they split that 240 volts into TWO circuits at 120 volts.

 

[casamiro]

Well I have the same Question that is asked in the thread."Can I measure AC current with dc ampare meter or DC current with AC ampare meter."

I bought the clamp meter which is desinged to mearsure AC current but I m surprised when it also showed the DC current I googled but could not find any answer..Can anybody helpme to understand it and how a Ac clamp meter measure the DC current?

 

[dhananjoykarmakar]

its only showing the ripple current.
and its ammount will be small.

 

[casamiro]

its only showing the ripple current.
and its ammount will be small.

Nop it's not ripple current as well as not in milli amps it is considerable amount of current that is possibily correct,I checked the current of batties that is connected to the ups and it shows the charging current about 3.11A and you can clearly shows in the pictures that the meter can only measure for AC current.Please look at these pictures

https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/8174564500_1360071684.jpg
https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/4330336900_1360071687.jpg

 

[FvM]

A standard AC current clamp meter doesn't measure DC current. AC/DC clamp meters have separate AC and DC ranges.

I guess you are measuring a pulsating DC current, e.g. the output current of an unfiltered power supply. In this case you'll see the AC current ripple. It's related to the DC current but considerably smaller.

 

[casamiro]

of cource it's a ups and the charging current is in the form of pulsating so that it charge the battery.Now I hold up a DC burshless fan from Pc rated 12V@2.5Amps directly attached to the battery terminals and using clamp meter in order to measure current so at this time it just shows .335Amps (thank you dhananjoykarmakar as you said it is small amount)
and when i used another meter (a very cheap one) but can measure the DC current I shows 1.95Amps (and ya I know it is very unreliable).but it show some how close to the acutal rating.These are the snaps and thank you guys for your help.
https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/4751840300_1360076145.jpg
https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/9337856200_1360076148.jpg
https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/5423100700_1360076151.jpg

 

[kyrietec]

I have an Ac clamp metre it read both ac and dc current. I use it for my inverter.

 

[casamiro]

I have an Ac clamp metre it read both ac and dc current. I use it for my inverter.

well yes you can use it for measuring AC current for output of the inverter.