Briggs & Stratton 86262GS Familiarization & Troubleshooting Manual page 11

Portable Generator Familiarization & Troubleshooting Guide
Section 1 • Generator Fundamentals
The flow of electrons changes direction according to the
rotating armature's position in relation to the poles of a
magnetic field (See the Table 1.1).
Table 1.1 — Current Flow Pattern
A wave diagram (sine wave) of alternating current shows
that current goes from a zero value to maximum positive
value (0°- 90° degrees), and then returns to zero (Figure
1.15).Two such current reversals (1 positive and 1 negative)
are called "one cycle." The number of cycles_per second, is
called frequency and is often stated as 'Hertz or "CPS."
Figure 1.15 — An Alternating Current Sine Wave
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