What is a sine wave?
by Windy Dankoff Alternating current (AC) is electrical current that reverses its direction at a standard frequency of 60 Hz (cycles per second, or 50 Hz in South America and Europe). Conventional AC power is produced by rotating machines (alternators) that produce a smooth alternation, like that of a pendulum. It is described mathematically as a “sine wave”. It is the ideal waveform for the transfer of AC power. An inverter is an electronic device that converts DC to AC through a switching process. Thus it produces a sort of “synthesized” AC. There are two types of waveforms available from high-quality inverters. These are the so-called “modified sine wave” and the “true sine wave”. The “modified sine wave” is not really a sine wave at all. It is a stepped wave, like a pendulum that is being hit back and forth by soft hammers. It achieves voltage regulation by varying in width according to the battery voltage and the load. Thus, the wave is not as smooth as a sine wave. The quality of
A sine wave, or sinusoid, is a mathematical construct (specifically a function) used to model and predict a variety of cyclic phenomena, including the rise and fall of tides, the oscillation of a spring, the incident light hitting the ground from the Sun over the course of a day, the intensity of a sound wave, and millions of other examples. The sine wave is usually the first function that students learn when studying pre-calculus (trigonometry). The most basic way of writing a sine wave function is f(x) = sinx, where “sin” means “sine,” and x is the variable being operated on. Practically everything in reality oscillates. All electromagnetic energy, including visible light, microwaves, radio waves, and x-rays, can be represented by a sine wave. At the lowest level, even matter oscillates like a wave, but for macroscopic objects, these oscillations are so minimal are to be impossible to measure. Sound waves can be represented as sine waves, and the up-and-down waves on an oscilloscope
Alternating current (AC) is electrical current that reverses its direction at a standard frequency of 60 Hz (cycles per second, or 50 Hz in South America and Europe). Conventional AC power is produced by rotating machines (alternators) that produce a smooth alternation, like that of a pendulum. It is described mathematically as a “sine wave”. It is the ideal waveform for the transfer of AC power. An inverter is an electronic device that converts DC to AC through a switching process. Thus it produces a sort of “synthesized” AC. There are two types of waveforms available from high-quality inverters. These are the so-called “modified sine wave” and the “true sine wave”. The “modified sine wave” is not really a sine wave at all. It is a stepped wave, like a pendulum that is being hit back and forth by soft hammers. It achieves voltage regulation by varying in width according to the battery voltage and the load. Thus, the wave is not as smooth as a sine wave. The quality of “mod sine” inver
