When referring to a 2400 volt line, what value are we addressing?

In electrical terms, when addressing a 2400 volt line, it is common to refer to the voltage in terms of Root Mean Square (RMS) value. The RMS value provides a way to express the effective voltage or current of an AC system. For alternating current (AC), the RMS voltage represents a value that would deliver the same amount of power as an equivalent direct current (DC) circuit.

For a sinusoidal waveform, the RMS value is related to the peak voltage by a factor of √2 (approximately 1.414). Thus, if one were to measure the peak voltage of a 2400 volt RMS line, it would actually be around 3398 volts peak. However, the standard voltage specification for power systems is frequently given in RMS because it is more practical for determining the power distribution and the heating effects in resistive loads.

Other terms like maximum or average do not correctly represent the typical voltage used in the context of power systems. For example, maximum often refers to the peak voltage, and average does not account for the effective power conversion in AC systems. Therefore, RMS is the correct specification when referring to the 2400 volt line, highlighting its significance in electrical engineering and power distribution.