For a sine wave with a peak value of 120 V, what is the peak-to-peak value?

For a sine wave with a peak value of 120 V, what is the peak-to-peak value?

• A. 240 V
• B. 120 V
• C. 60 V
• D. 480 V

Answer: (A)

Peak-to-peak voltage is the total voltage swing from the highest positive point to the lowest negative point of a waveform. For a sine wave that peaks at +120 V, it must also reach -120 V on the opposite side. The difference between +120 V and -120 V is 240 V, so the peak-to-peak value is 240 V. In other words, peak-to-peak is twice the peak value. (If you ever need the RMS value for a sine wave, it’s the peak divided by sqrt(2), which would be about 84.85 V in this case.)

Peak-to-peak voltage is the total voltage swing from the highest positive point to the lowest negative point of a waveform. For a sine wave that peaks at +120 V, it must also reach -120 V on the opposite side. The difference between +120 V and -120 V is 240 V, so the peak-to-peak value is 240 V. In other words, peak-to-peak is twice the peak value. (If you ever need the RMS value for a sine wave, it’s the peak divided by sqrt(2), which would be about 84.85 V in this case.)