What is the correct formula to represent effective voltage?

The effective voltage, or root mean square (RMS) voltage, is a key concept in electrical engineering that allows for the comparison of AC (alternating current) voltages to DC (direct current) voltages in terms of power delivery.

The formula for calculating the RMS voltage from the peak voltage (Vpk) in a sinusoidal waveform is:

Vrms = Vpk / sqrt(2)

This relationship arises because the RMS value is defined as the value of a DC voltage that would produce the same power in a resistive load as the AC voltage over a complete cycle. For a sinusoidal waveform, the RMS value is 1/√2 times the peak value. Thus, when you take a peak voltage and divide it by the square root of 2, you obtain the effective voltage for that waveform.

This formula is fundamental in alternating current circuit analysis and is widely used to ensure proper calculations and efficiency in electrical systems.