CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

MODULE 3 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE

REACTANCE

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, you will;

1. Discuss the characteristics of capacitance

2. Describe the effect of capacitance in an alternating-current circuit.
3. Use vectors to show the voltage and current relationship in a capacitor.

PROCEDURES: Try to read and understand the following:

INTRODUCTION

Practically all electrical equipment contains a combination of resistor or coils. Some

industrial equipment, such as capacitor motors, capacitor bank and automatic switch gear,
use capacitors. Transmission lines have Capacitance between the wires.

A capacitor consists of two plates of electrical conducting material separated by an

insulating material. The plates are commonly aluminum, tin, or any other nonmagnetic
substances. The insulating material called the dielectric, may be any of a large variety of
substances such as air, mica, glass, wax, paper, fiber, rubber or oil.

When electric potential is connected to the plates, an electric charge is stored in the
capacitor. In an AC circuit, the alternating voltage causes the capacitor to charge and
discharge during every cycle. Although current cannot pass through the capacitor, an
ammeter connected in the line will measure current resulting from alternating charge and
discharge.

FIGURE 1 (Different types of Capacitor)

CAPACITANCE

Capacitance is the property of a capacitor and is defined as the amount of electrical

charge that a capacitor receives for each volt of applied potential. The unit for capacitor is the
farad (F). However, the farad is a very large unit in terms of the charges that are normally
present, so the microfarad (μF) is generally used.

1 farad = 1 000 000 microfarad, or

18
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

1 microfarad = 1 / 1 000 000 farad

CAPACITIVE REACTANCE

A capacitor in a circuit limits the current therein just as resistance and inductive
reactance limit current.

The opposition from a capacitor is called capacitive reactance (XC)

If the capacity (in microfarads) and the frequency are known, the reactance in ohms
can be calculated.

1 000 000 Where:

XC = XC = capacitive reactance in ohms (Ω)
2πfC π = 3,14
f = frequency in hertz (Hz)
C = number of microfarads (μF)

EXAMPLE:

Capacitance A f = 60 Hz
C = 13 μF

1 000 000
XC =
2πfC

1 000 000
XC =
2(3.14)(60)(13)

XC = 204 Ω

Capacitance B f = 60 Hz
C = 26 μF

1 000 000
XC =
2πfC

1 000 000
XC =
2(3.14)(60)(26)

XC = 102 Ω

Capacitance C f = 120 Hz
C = 26 μF

1 000 000
XC =
2πfC

1 000 000
XC =
2(3.14)(120)(26)

XC = 51 Ω

Capacitive reactance varies indirectly with capacitance and frequency.

19
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

Capacitive reactance may be decreased by increasing either the capacitance or the

frequency.

DANGER: a capacitor holds a charge for a long period of time following use in a circuit.
Discharge a capacitor before handling. The proper method for discharging is shown in Figure
2.

SHORT CIRCUIT TO
DISCHARGE THE CAPACITOR

FIGURE 2 (Discharging a capacitor)

CURRENT LEADS THE VOLTAGE IN A CAPACITOR

A capacitor connected to an AC line causes the current to lead the voltage by 90⁰, as
shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 uses vectors to show the same information as Figure 3.

FIGURE 3 (Current leading voltage by 90⁰)

FIGURE 4 (Vector diagram of current leading voltage by 90⁰)

20
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

When capacitors are connected in parallel, their combined capacitance may be found
using the method by which the combined resistance of series-connected resistors is found:
(see Figure 5)

Capacitor in Parallel: CT = C 1 + C 2 + C 3

FIGURE 5 (capacitor connected in parallel)

When capacitors are connected in series, their combined capacitance may be found
using the method by which the combined resistance of parallel-connected resistors is found:

Capacitor in Series: 1 1 1 1
= + +
CT C1 C2 C3

FIGURE 6 (capacitor connected in series)

When only two capacitors are connected in series, their combined capacitance is
found by the product over the sum method:

C1 C 2
CT =
C1 + C 2
FINDING CURRENT

Figure 7 and the example show how the total current is determined in a capacitive
AC circuit.

FIGURE 7

First, find XC

1 000 000
XC =
2πfC

1 000 000
XC =

21
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

2(3.14)(60)(88.5)

XC = 30 Ω

Using Ohm’s Law;

E
I =
XC

120
I =
30

I = 4A

CALCULATING TOTAL CAPACITANCE AND CURRENT

In Figure 8, the capacitance of the circuit must be found to determine the total circuit
current. Find the combined capacitance of C2 and C3.

FIGURE 8

In Formula: CT = C 2 + C 3

C2,3 = 25μF + 35μF

C2,3 = 60μF

C2,3 is the series equivalent of the two parallel capacitors. Therefore, the circuit
becomes a series circuit as shown in Figure 9.

FIGURE 9
The total capacitance is found with the following formula:

C1 C23
CT =
C1 + C23

(40)(60)
CT =
40 + 60

2400
CT =
100

CT = 24μF
22
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

Then find the capacitive reactance (XC):

1 000 000
XC =
2πfC

1 000 000
XC =
2(3.14)(60)(24)

1 000 000
XC =
9 043.2

XC = 110.6 Ω

Hence, the total current:

By Ohm’s Law

E
IT =
XC

120
IT =
110.6

IT = 1.08 A

SUMMARY

Capacitors are built to store an electric charge. Capacitance is the property of a

capacitor, and capacitive reactance results from the amount of capacitance and the
frequency of the current. As with inductive resonance, capacitive reactance is similar to
resistance in terms of its opposition to the establishment of current in a circuit. The difference
is that the current in a capacitive circuit leads the voltage. In a circuit containing only
capacitance, the current will lead by 90⁰. A wide variety of capacitors exists to provide unique
characteristics for circuits and systems.

ADDITIONAL READINGS

Websites: 1. https://bit.ly/3cVMNlq

2. https://bit.ly/2Yzmuwh

3. https://bit.ly/3fnzSue

23
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

EVALUATION

Name: __________________________________________ Date: _________

Course/Year: _____________________________ Score: ________

In problems 1 through 10, select the best answer to make the statement true.

1. The most generally used unit of capacitive reactance is the

a. Farad
b. Microfarad
c. Ohm

24
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

d. Henry
e. Hertz
2. Before a capacitor is handled, be sure it
a. Is large enough to do the job
b. Has clean plates
c. Has proper polarity
d. Is charge
e. Is discharge
3. The capacitor’s opposition to alternating current is called
a. Capacitance
b. Capacitive reactance
c. Resistance
d. The farad
e. The microfarad
4. Capacitive reactance of a circuit may be increased by
a. Decreasing total capacitance
b. Increasing total capacitance
c. Increasing the number of farads.
d. Increasing source voltage
e. Increasing frequency
5. In a capacitive AC circuit
a. Current leads voltage
b. Voltage leads current
c. Current is in phase with voltage
d. Current lags voltage
e. Voltage is in phase with current
6. The total capacitance of two 10μF capacitors connected in parallel is

a. 5 μF
b. 10 μF
c. 15 μF
d. 20 μF
e. 100 μF
7. The total capacitive reactance of an AC circuit that draws 4-A from a 120-V, 60Hz
source is

a. 2 Ω
25
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

b. 15 Ω
c. 30 Ω
d. 88.5 Ω
e. 480 Ω
8. The total capacitance of a 40 μF capacitor connected in series with an 80 μF
capacitor is

a. 26.7 μF
b. 40 μF
c. 60.6 μF
d. 120 μF
e. 2400 μF
9. The total capacitance, in μF of an AC circuit that draws 0.362-A from a 120-V, 60 Hz
source is

a. 0.003
b. 8
c. 43.5
d. 166
e. 332
10. The total current, in amperes of an AC circuit that has a total capacitance of 638-μF
connected to 240-V, 25-Hz source is
a. 4.8
b. 5.32
c. 8.0
d. 12
e. 25.5

26
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

11. Find the current of the circuit shown in the Figure.

12. Change C to 40 μF in problem 11, and calculate the current

13. Determine the total capacitive reactance of the circuit shown in the Figure and the
value of C2 in microfarads if the total current is 3 amperes.

14. Using the circuit in problem 13, change C1 to 50 μF and the total current to 5
amperes. Find the total XC and the value of C2.

27
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

15. Find the total current in the circuit shown in the Figure.

16. For the circuit in problem 15, change the frequency to 60 Hz, and find the total
current.

17. Find XC for the circuit shown in the Figure

28
 CAPACITANCE AND CAPACITIVE INDUCTANCE AC MACHINE

18. Using the circuit in problem 17, change the 8 μF capacitor to 10 μF, and find the total
capacitive reactance.

29