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Power Inverters

Power inverters serve a very particular purpose within our electrical devices. They switch direct current, such as that found in batteries or solar panels into alternating current. Alternating current is the main power source for developed countries because it is more efficient to transmit alternating current (AC) than direct current (DC).

In AC power, the flow of electrons reverses itself periodically.  This means that the electrons go forward, and then backwards. The trick is that modern appliances are designed to produce work out of the electricity, no matter which way it is flowing through the device. This is why your plugs always have at least two prongs. One is the in, and the other is the out. The third prong is the ground or neutral, which is important in higher current situations.

A power inverter comes in handy when you have something, such as a laptop, that needs to run on direct or alternating current. When running from the battery, the laptop will run on DC. When running from an AC outlet, the power must be converted into DC, which is why laptop power cords have the bulky black box on them.

 

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