What makes up one cycle?

What makes up one cycle?

• A. A single positive half-cycle
• B. The combined positive and negative alternations
• C. The peak voltage only
• D. A single negative half-cycle

Answer: (B)

A cycle in alternating current is the complete progression of the waveform through both halves of its swing. It starts at a point (such as a zero crossing), goes through a positive half-cycle to the positive peak, returns through zero to the negative half-cycle, reaches the negative peak, and then returns to the starting point. In other words, one cycle includes both the positive and the negative alternations. The period is the time it takes to complete this full sweep, and the frequency is how many cycles occur each second. If you look at only a single positive half-cycle or a single negative half-cycle, you’re looking at half of the cycle, not the whole thing. The peak voltage is just a single point within the cycle, not the entire loop. So the full cycle is made up of the combined positive and negative halves.

A cycle in alternating current is the complete progression of the waveform through both halves of its swing. It starts at a point (such as a zero crossing), goes through a positive half-cycle to the positive peak, returns through zero to the negative half-cycle, reaches the negative peak, and then returns to the starting point. In other words, one cycle includes both the positive and the negative alternations. The period is the time it takes to complete this full sweep, and the frequency is how many cycles occur each second. If you look at only a single positive half-cycle or a single negative half-cycle, you’re looking at half of the cycle, not the whole thing. The peak voltage is just a single point within the cycle, not the entire loop. So the full cycle is made up of the combined positive and negative halves.