An appliance that converts 12-volt DC to 110-volt AC power is called what?

An appliance that converts 12-volt direct current (DC) to 110-volt alternating current (AC) power is called an inverter. Inverters serve a crucial function in various applications, particularly in renewable energy systems, power backup systems, and vehicular power supplies. They allow devices that require standard AC power to be powered from a DC source, such as a battery.

Inverters work by taking the low-voltage DC power from a battery or solar panel and converting it into higher-voltage AC power, suitable for running household appliances or other electrical devices that operate on standard AC voltage. This conversion process involves electronic circuitry that generates AC waveforms from the DC input.

Other options like a generator typically produce AC or DC power from mechanical energy, but they do not convert voltages as an inverter does. A transformer is used to change the voltage level of existing AC power, not to convert from DC to AC. An amplifier refers to a device that increases the amplitude of signals but does not perform voltage conversion between DC and AC. This specificity in functionality makes the inverter the correct answer.