2. tech-talk
  3. 130312-26

RMS Power?

I often see power specifications like "100W RMS".  There is no such thing as RMS power.  Of course, you can calculate RMS value from any curve, including power curve, but it won't represent anything.  "Real" power representing heat dissipated in resistive load is "Average Power"   Pavg=Vrms*Irms.   In case of sinewaves Pavg=0.707Vpeak * 0.707Ipeak = 0.5Ppeak,  or Ppeak = 2Pavg. 

Term "RMS Power" or "watts RMS" is a mistake, very common in audio.
128x128kijanki
erik_squires
16,051 posts
 
The reason for introducing Wrms has more to do with distortion measurements. At some point at least in the US, requirements for producting THD+N along with power and pre-heating requirements occured and this settled down. The Wrms came out of that.

For a while amplifier manufacturers could measure watts any damn way they wanted to, so some used the Vpk-pk as the source for the wattage measurements, and never mind the distortion at all.

So Wrms is more of a commercial standards thing than a purely electrical one, and implies that it is a sine wave with THD+n below rated.

Have fun arguing it though.

Best,

E
kijanki's avatar
kijanki OP
4,428 posts
 
Erik, They could say Average Power - power equivalent to power produced by DC voltage of 0.707Vp.
There are no two different power values - average and rms as it is with voltage. There is only one power - Average Power.

I’m pretty sure that when you visit websites of all major amp makers like Pass Labs, Jeff Rowland etc - you won’t find terms "rms power" or "watts rms".

I don’t have big hopes for changing anybody’s mind on this forum (even FTC stayed ignorant for 25 years).

Wliliewonka - It is "watt" and not "Watt" (units start with small letter - but I’m sure you don’t care). You can go back to sleep now.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
7,977 posts
 
kijanki,
Even though I am completely ignorant on the subject, I can fully understand why the incorrect term bugs you. I'm glad that there are people like you around to make us aware of these things.
I'm expecting Almarg to jump into this any minute...
imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,181 posts
 
Faulty term watts rms or rms power came most likely from around 1975 FTC standard for power rating. FTC realized, that they goofed up and 25 years later in 2000 they corrected it .
http://www.n4lcd.com/RMS.pdf
imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,181 posts
 
I think Roy Lewallen explained it very well:
http://eznec.com/Amateur/RMS_Power.pdf
In his summary:
The equivalent heating power of a waveform is the average power.
The RMS power is different than the average power, and therefore isn’t the equivalent heating power. In fact, the RMS value of the power doesn’t represent anything useful.
The RMS values of voltage and current are useful because they can be used to calculate the average power.
More to discover