Red Seal Electrician Practice
AC generationQuestion 247 of 1506

A simple DC generator has a single coil and a commutator. What voltage does it make during one full turn of the shaft?

  1. One pulse of AC, then no output
  2. A smooth, ripple-free DC voltage
  3. Two pulses, both in the same direction
  4. Two pulses of opposite polarity
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Correct answer: Two pulses, both in the same direction

The commutator and brushes flip the connection every half turn, so each of the two pulses has the same polarity.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits II: AC (Kuphaldt), 1.1: What is Alternating Current (AC)?

Practice ac generation

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026