Sine wave (alternating current, AC)
On a rating plate: the equipment is suitable for alternating current only. Next to a terminal: that terminal is for AC.
Symbol reference: IEC 60417-5032
A mark tells you what the maker declares, never that the product is safe.
- What it looks like
- One full sine wave, like an S lying on its side.
- Who may apply it
- The equipment maker, on the rating plate or terminals.
- Where it goes
- On rating plates and terminals.
What it does not promise
The wave says nothing about the voltage or frequency. Read the numbers beside it before plugging in abroad or using a travel adapter.
Other marks with the same shapes
Sources
Each page below was fetched and read on the date shown. Where a symbol’s IEC 60417 or ISO 7000 number is given, a public page listing that number is among them.
- Wikimedia Commons: File page transcribing IEC 60417 entry 5032 (title, function, publication) — Symbol 5032 from IEC 60417, “Alternating current”: to indicate on the rating plate that the equipment is suitable for alternating current only; to identify relevant terminals. Checked 2026-09-24.
Written in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.