Alternating. adj.
Term descriptive of a current changing periodically in
direction. (See Current, Alternating.)
Synonyms--Oscillatory--periodic--undulatory--harmonic.
Alternating Current Arc.
The arc produced by the alternating current. It presents several
peculiarities. With an insufficient number of alternations per second it
goes out. As the carbons wear away equally it is adopted for such lamps
as the Jablochkoff candle, (see Candle, Jablochkoff). As no crater is
formed the light is disseminated equally both up and down. For this
reason to get full downward illumination a reflector is recommended.
Alternating Current System.
A system of electric distribution employing the alternating current. For
transmission in the open air or in conduits a high potential circuit is
used, from 1,000 to 10,000 volts being maintained at the central
station. Two leads unconnected at the end lead from the station. Where
current is desired a converter or transformer (see Converter) is placed,
whose primary is connected to the two leads bridging the interval
between them. From the secondary the house leads are taken with an
initial potential in some cases of 50 volts. The converters are thus all
placed in parallel. By law or insurance rules the converters are
generally kept outside of buildings. Where no secondary current is taken
from the converters very little primary current passes them on account
of their counter-electromotive force. As more secondary current is taken
the primary increases and this accommodation of one to the other is one
of the interesting and valuable features. Street lamps are sometimes
connected in series. Each lamp in such case is in parallel with a small
coil with iron core. While the lamp is intact little current passes
through the coil. If the lamp is broken, then the converter impedes the
current by its spurious resistance, q. v., just enough to represent and
replace the resistance of the extinguished and broken lamp filament.
(See Meter, Alternating Current; Motor, Alternating Current.)
Alternation.
The change in direction of a current. The number of such changes is
expressed as number of alternations; thus a current may have a frequency
of 500 or 20,000 alternations per second.
[Transcriber's note: One alternation per second is now called one hertz.]
Alternation, Complete.
A double alternation; a change from one direction
to the other and back again to the original phase. A symbol derived from
its graphic representation by a sine curve is used to indicate it. The
symbol is ~