What is the difference between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC)?
Alternating current has electron flow in both directions in a circuit. It is the type of electricity supplied by utility companies and the type that most home appliances operate on. Precisely because of its alternating nature, AC was adopted ubiquitously because it can be transported over long distances without losing much of its electrical energy. Direct current flows only in one direction and it is the type of electrical current produced by solar panels and batteries. DC cannot be transported far as much of it evanesces in the process.
