AC Voltage at a Given Angle

Calculation of the voltage of a sine wave at a given angle

Calculate Voltage at Angle

Angle-Voltage Calculator

On this page you can calculate the instantaneous value of a sine wave at a certain angle position. The voltage can be entered as RMS or peak value.

V
°/rad
Results
RMS voltage:
Peak voltage:
Angle in degrees:
Instantaneous voltage:

Sine Wave Angle Values

Unit circle - angles and corresponding sine values

Characteristic Angles
sin(0°) = 0 u = 0V
30° sin(30°) = 0.5 u = 0.5·û
45° sin(45°) = 0.707 u = 0.707·û
60° sin(60°) = 0.866 u = 0.866·û
90° sin(90°) = 1 u = û (Maximum)
180° sin(180°) = 0 u = 0V
Parameters
\(\displaystyle û\) = Peak voltage [V]
\(\displaystyle u\) = Instantaneous voltage [V]
\(\displaystyle \phi\) = Angle [°] or [rad]

Calculation of Voltage at Angle

Basic Formula for Sine Waves

With uniform rotation of a rotor in a homogeneous magnetic field, the induced voltage changes sinusoidally. If the peak value û is known, the instantaneous value can be determined from the angle.

Basic formula
\[u = û \cdot \sin(\phi)\]

The instantaneous voltage is the product of the peak voltage and the sine of the angle.

Important Properties
  • Periodicity: sin(φ + 360°) = sin(φ)
  • Symmetry: sin(-φ) = -sin(φ)
  • Value range: -1 ≤ sin(φ) ≤ 1
  • Zeros: sin(φ) = 0 at φ = 0°, 180°, 360°, ...
  • Extrema: sin(φ) = ±1 at φ = 90°, 270°, ...

Example calculations

Practical calculation examples

Example 1: Maximum of the sine wave

Given: û = 10V, φ = 90°

\[u = 10V \cdot \sin(90°) = 10V \cdot 1 = 10V\]
At 90° the voltage reaches its maximum
Example 2: Zero crossing

Given: û = 10V, φ = 180°

\[u = 10V \cdot \sin(180°) = 10V \cdot 0 = 0V\]
At 180° the voltage is zero
Example 3: Arbitrary angle

Given: û = 10V, φ = 34°

\[u = 10V \cdot \sin(34°) = 10V \cdot 0.559 = 5.59V\]
Practical application for arbitrary angles
Important angles and their sine values
First quadrant (0° - 90°):
0°: sin = 0
30°: sin = 0.5
45°: sin = √2/2 ≈ 0.707
60°: sin = √3/2 ≈ 0.866
90°: sin = 1
Second quadrant (90° - 180°):
120°: sin = √3/2 ≈ 0.866
135°: sin = √2/2 ≈ 0.707
150°: sin = 0.5
180°: sin = 0
Other quadrants:
270°: sin = -1
360°: sin = 0
Periodicity: sin(φ + 360°) = sin(φ)
Symmetry: sin(-φ) = -sin(φ)

Theory of the Angle-Voltage Relationship

Physical principles

To calculate the voltage with respect to an angle for a sinusoidal AC voltage, the voltage is described by the sine function. The general form of a sinusoidal voltage is:

Basic formula
\[u = û \cdot \sin(\phi)\]

Where û is the peak voltage, u the instantaneous voltage, and φ the angle.

Angle dependence

The voltage u is determined by the sine function and depends on the angle φ, which is often expressed as a function of time. By inserting the corresponding angle and amplitude into the formula, you get the voltage at a certain angle or time.

Degree calculation
\[u = û \cdot \sin(\phi°)\]

Direct input in degrees (0° to 360°).

Radian calculation
\[u = û \cdot \sin(\phi \text{ rad})\]

Input in radians (0 to 2π).

Practical applications

Electrical engineering
  • Generator voltages
  • Transformer analysis
  • Phase relationships
  • Load distribution
Simulation
  • SPICE models
  • Signal generation
  • Harmonic analysis
  • Frequency response analysis
Measurement technology
  • Oscilloscope trigger
  • Phase measurements
  • Harmonic analysis
  • Distortion measurement

Conversion between units

Degree ↔ Radian conversion
Degree → Radian:
\[\text{rad} = \text{degree} \times \frac{\pi}{180°}\]
Radian → Degree:
\[\text{degree} = \text{rad} \times \frac{180°}{\pi}\]

Design notes

Practical considerations
  • Phase shift: Note angle differences between current and voltage
  • Harmonics: Real signals often contain harmonics at multiples of the fundamental frequency
  • Symmetry: Three-phase systems have 120° phase shift
  • Measurement: Trigger points for stable oscilloscope display
  • Reference point: Clear definition of the 0° reference point required
  • Quadrants: Note the sign of the voltage depending on the angle range

Is this page helpful?            
Thank you for your feedback!

Sorry about that

How can we improve it?


AC functions

Alternating voltage values  •  Alternating voltage and time  •  Frequency and wavelength  •  Alternating voltage value and angle  •  Frequency and periodic time  •  RMS value of a sinusoidal oscillation  •  RMS value of a sinusoidal oscillation with offset  •  RMS value of a sine pulse (half-wave rectification)  •  RMS value of a sine pulse (full-wave rectification)  •  RMS value of a square wave voltage  •  RMS value of a square pulse  •  RMS value of a triangle voltage  •  RMS value of a triangular pulse  •  RMS value of a sawtooth voltage  •  RMS value of a sawtooth pulse  •