Is RMS value same as Average Value?

Thread Starter

JDR04

Joined May 5, 2011
367
Can someone help me out here please.

I want to know if a RMS value is the same as an AVERAGE Value? Is a RMS value derived by the adding of all positive instantaneous values in an AC CYCLE and then divided by the number of instantaneous values you took?

Am I making any sense or does it sound like gibberish?

Thanks guys - JDR04:confused:
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,618
RMS and average value are not the same.

Average value is taking the sum of all instantaneous values and dividing by n the number of values.

RMS is taking the sum of the square of all instantaneous values, dividing by n and then taking the square root.

The RMS value is the value of a DC voltage or current that will give the same heating effect as the random waveform.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,932
Just remember that the name says it all:

RMS: Root of the Mean of the Square.

So you take the square root of the mean (average and mean are the same) of the squared waveform.
 
Top