Calculating Frequency for AC Waveforms

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In summary, The conversation is about calculating the frequencies for alternating currents that complete a certain number of cycles in a given time period. The formula f=1/T is mentioned and the importance of converting milliseconds to seconds is emphasized for accurate results.
  • #1
daveiejbeer
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Hello my mind has gone blanc whilst in the middle of my AC Theory assignment.
The question is:
Calculate the frequencies for the following wave forms:
i. An alternating current that completes 4 cycles in 5ms
ii. An alternating current that completes 5 cycles in 8ms.

Am I right in thinking work out how many ms to complete 1 cycle then work out using f = 1/T

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Dave
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF!

Hello Dave! Welcome to PF! :wink:
daveiejbeer said:
Am I right in thinking work out how many ms to complete 1 cycle then work out using f = 1/T

Yup! :biggrin:

Well … sort-of … if it's 1 cycle in T milliseconds, then it's 1000 cycles in T seconds, so it's … ? :smile:
 
  • #3
frequency is usually in Hz so you need first to convert the time from ms to s .. the second thing is that what you are thinking is right,but there is an even easier direct way .. Why just don't you say that the frequency (f) = no. Of cycles / time .. :) then you will have the problem done..
 
  • #4
Hi daveiejbeer, welcome to PF.
Frequency f = no. of cycles per second.
In the first case convert ms to s and find f.
 
  • #5
Thanx for your help. I have already worked out the answers but I wasn't converting it into seconds, Doh!

Thanx once again.

Dave
 

1. What is frequency in science?

Frequency in science refers to the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is commonly measured in Hertz (Hz) which represents the number of cycles per second.

2. How do you calculate frequency?

Frequency can be calculated by dividing the number of occurrences of an event by the total time it takes for those occurrences to happen. The formula is: frequency = number of occurrences / time period.

3. What is the difference between frequency and wavelength?

Frequency and wavelength are two different properties of waves. Frequency measures how often a wave repeats itself in a given amount of time, while wavelength measures the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of a wave.

4. Can frequency be negative?

No, frequency cannot be negative. It represents the number of occurrences of an event, and a negative value would not make sense in this context. However, frequency can be expressed as a negative exponent in scientific notation.

5. How does frequency affect the pitch of a sound?

The higher the frequency of a sound wave, the higher its pitch will be perceived by the human ear. This means that sounds with a higher frequency will have a higher tone or note, while sounds with a lower frequency will have a lower tone or note.

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