Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load.
Related terms
Load: This is an electrical component or portion of a circuit that consumes electric power. It's like the student in our analogy.
Direct Current (DC): This is one type of electrical current which flows consistently in one direction. A DC power supply provides this kind of current.
Alternating Current (AC): This is another type of electrical current where the flow of electric charge periodically reverses direction. An AC power supply provides this kind of current.