What is peak-to-peak voltage?

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What is peak-to-peak voltage?

Peak-to-peak voltage is the full vertical span of a waveform, measured from its highest positive point to its lowest negative point. It’s found by subtracting the minimum voltage from the maximum voltage: Vpp = Vmax − Vmin. For a sine wave that swings symmetrically around zero, the positive peak is Vpeak and the negative peak is −Vpeak, so Vpp = Vpeak − (−Vpeak) = 2 × Vpeak. For example, if the sine goes from +5 V to −5 V, the peak-to-peak voltage is 10 V. This is different from the average value over a cycle (which is zero for a symmetric sine about zero), the crest value (the maximum positive voltage, not the full swing), and the RMS value (a measure related to heating effect, Vrms = Vpeak/√2 for an ideal sine).

Peak-to-peak voltage is the full vertical span of a waveform, measured from its highest positive point to its lowest negative point. It’s found by subtracting the minimum voltage from the maximum voltage: Vpp = Vmax − Vmin.

For a sine wave that swings symmetrically around zero, the positive peak is Vpeak and the negative peak is −Vpeak, so Vpp = Vpeak − (−Vpeak) = 2 × Vpeak. For example, if the sine goes from +5 V to −5 V, the peak-to-peak voltage is 10 V.

This is different from the average value over a cycle (which is zero for a symmetric sine about zero), the crest value (the maximum positive voltage, not the full swing), and the RMS value (a measure related to heating effect, Vrms = Vpeak/√2 for an ideal sine).

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