Trying to understand electricity

Tuco88

I think AvE said it best. Its just a bunch of angry pixies inside a cable trying to kill you.

alan4cult

Softshoulder wrote: »

After 30 posts there isn't a clear consensus on how AC moves back and forth in a circuit.



Should I just accept that "electricity changes direction 50 times a second in a 50Hz supply or is there a clear answer?

And if it changes so many times a second, how does that work with LEDs that allow one way flow?

50HZ is the the frequency, so it changes direction 2*50=100 times per second, half the time are the electrons moving one ways and half the time the opposite way so the electrons move but don't get displaced. Kind of like a crowd of people swinging back and forth.

LED is DC, AC will be converted to DC via an LED driver or in built transformer. AC is converted to DC very often in household goods, so you may ask why not run DC circuits around a house instead of AC but that's another deep discussion for another topic.

If you want to see how LEDs work under an AC to DC conversion then watch this:
https://youtu.be/3vNw9PUISRc

Zubeneschamali

alan4cult wrote: »

I'm pretty sure electrons are particles, no?

Sure, if you like. Little round grey particles.

Softshoulder

alan4cult wrote: »

50HZ is the the frequency, so it changes direction 2*50=100 times per second, half the time are the electrons moving one ways and half the time the opposite way so the electrons move but don't get displaced. Kind of like a crowd of people swinging back and forth.

LED is DC, AC will be converted to DC via an LED driver or in built transformer. AC is converted to DC very often in household goods, so you may ask why not run DC circuits around a house instead of AC but that's another deep discussion for another topic.

If you want to see how LEDs work under an AC to DC conversion then watch this:
https://youtu.be/3vNw9PUISRc

Ok, so let's say lights on a tree are LEDs, there'd be a rectifier like a laptop charger?

Is that the same for light bulbs? Is there rectifiers built into the bulbs? Or is it the LED that acts as the rectifier because it doesn't allow it to change direction?

alan4cult

Softshoulder wrote: »

Ok, so let's say lights on a tree are LEDs, there'd be a rectifier like a laptop charger?

Is that the same for light bulbs? Is there rectifiers built into the bulbs? Or is it the LED that acts as the rectifier because it doesn't allow it to change direction?

Watch the video and your exact question is answered.