ABSTRACT

Mean and root mean square values Electrical currents and voltages often vary with time, and engineers may wish to know the average or mean value of such a current or voltage over some particular time interval. The mean value of a time-varying function is defined in terms of an integral. An associated quantity is the root mean square (rms) value of a current which is used, for example, in the calculation of the power dissipated by a resistor. Mean and rms values are required with alternating currents and voltages, pressure of sound waves, and much more.