What is the average voltage for one complete sign wave?

• A. One volt
• B. Zero volts
• C. Two volts
• D. Five volts

Answer: (B)

The average voltage for one complete sine wave is considered to be zero volts when measured over a full cycle. This is because a sine wave oscillates symmetrically above and below the horizontal axis. As the positive half of the wave contributes positive voltage, the negative half contributes an equal amount of negative voltage. When you calculate the average over a complete cycle, the positive and negative areas effectively cancel each other out, resulting in an average value of zero volts.

This concept is significant in electrical engineering and helps in understanding how alternating current (AC) functions. Specifically, while the peak or root mean square (RMS) values can represent the effective voltage in practical applications, the average value across a full cycle of a pure sine wave is zero due to this cancellation of areas.