What term describes the value of AC voltage that compares with DC for heating effects?

RMS value, or Root Mean Square value, is the term that represents the effective value of an alternating current (AC) voltage in a manner that can be directly compared to direct current (DC) for heating effects. This is crucial because the heating effect produced by an electric current in a resistor is proportional to the square of the current.

For an AC voltage, if you simply used the peak value, it would not accurately represent the heat generated because AC voltages and currents vary over time. Instead, the RMS value provides a consistent way to measure AC electricity similar to how DC operates, enabling a reliable comparison of the two for purposes such as power calculations and heating efficiency.

In practical applications, when electrical engineers specify voltage, especially when discussing equipment that deals with heating, they often reference RMS values because this gives a clear understanding of the equivalent DC voltage that would produce the same heat in a resistor. Thus, the RMS value stands out as critical in ensuring that electrical systems function safely and efficiently.