What is 110 VAC?
We frequently refer to "110 VAC" as a source of power. This may cause some folks to ask "where can I get that?""110 VAC" is shorthand for 110 Volts, AC (alternating current).
This is a reference to the stuff that comes out of wall sockets in the United States. It is also called "house current", "line voltage", or the "mains". In all cases, we are assuming a frequency of 60 Hz.
It is commonly called 120 Volts, 60Hz. It all depends on exactly how you measure it.
By "alternating current", we mean that the voltage changes over time,
swooping up and down in a pattern known as a "sine wave".
Note:
- In some other countries, other stuff comes out of the wall sockets.
The most common alternative is 220 VAC, 50 Hz.
If you live in a country other than the United States, certain details of this web page do not apply to you. This is especially true for color codes of wiring, and safety issues - 220 is a lot nastier than 110.
- The juice from the power company actually comes in as two different "legs" of 110.
This allows appliances that require little power to use 110, and bigger applicances
(like driers) to combine the two legs to provide 220.
The use of multiphase alternating current was made practical by Nikola Tesla and promoted by George Westinghouse. Tesla is little-known these days, compared with his less-talented contemporaries like Thomas Edison. This is a travesty, for Tesla's genius is directly responsible for many of our modern conveniences.
Key Voltages
| location | nominal RMS voltage | peak voltage | peak-to-peak voltage |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 120 V | 170 V | 340 V |
| European Union | 230 V | 325 V | 650 V |
Around The World
There are many standards as to voltage and frequency that apply to different countries around the world.Rather than duplicate the excellent work done by others, we present some links to sites that we like:
- List of countries with mains power plugs, voltages and frequencies by Wikipedia [local mirror]
- World Voltage Frequency & TV System Table (by countries) by Sale Stores Corp [local mirror]
- Table of Electrical Systems used worldwide by Steve Kropla [local mirror]
- electrical plugs by Steve Kropla [local mirror]
- 50Hz vs 60Hz by Steve Kropla [local mirror]
- Foreign electricity guide by Voltage Valet [local mirror]