Republic Of Yemen

Sana'a University
Faculty of Engineering
Mechatronics Department
Second level
General System

SERIES & PARALLEL RLC

ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS 2

DONE BY
Mohamed AL-Hetari Mohamed Jamil Saeed Ahmed
A.C: 202470034
Introduction:
An AC circuit is a type of electrical circuit powered by alternating current, where the current and
voltage periodically reverse direction. In this context, the series and parallel RLC circuits,
composed of resistors (R), inductors (L), and capacitors (C), are commonly studied to explore
how the impedance (resistance to current flow) changes with frequency. In a series RLC circuit,
the components are connected end-to-end, while in a parallel RLC circuit, the components are
connected across the same voltage source. Investigating these circuits allows for a deeper
understanding of the frequency dependence of impedance, as the inductive reactance and
capacitive reactance vary with frequency, influencing the total impedance. Applying Kirchhoff’s
Voltage and Current Laws (KVL and KCL) enables the analysis of the voltage drops across
components and the current distribution in these circuits, providing insights into the behavior of
the system under different frequency conditions.

Objective:
The objective of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between frequency and
impedance in series and parallel RLC circuits. By varying the frequency of the AC signal, we aim
to observe how impedance changes and identify the resonance frequency where impedance
shows minimum or maximum values. The experiment will also apply Kirchhoff's Voltage and
Current Laws (KVL and KCL) to analyze voltage and current distributions, enhancing
understanding of AC circuit behavior, frequency response, and resonance.

Theoretical
In an alternating current (AC) circuit, the voltage and current vary sinusoidally with time, which
means the voltage polarity and the current direction change periodically. The behavior of AC
circuits, especially those containing resistors (R), inductors (L), and capacitors (C), can be
analyzed using the concept of impedance (Z), which is the AC equivalent of resistance in direct
current (DC) circuits. Impedance combines both the resistive and reactive effects of the
components in the circuit, and it depends on the frequency of the applied AC signal.

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Series RLC Circuit:

In a series RLC circuit, the resistor (R), inductor (L), and capacitor (C) are connected in a single
path. The total impedance Zt
Zt=R+jXL−jXC
where:
• j is the imaginary unit

In this expression, the term XL represents the inductive reactance, and XC represents the
capacitive reactance. The inductive reactance increases with frequency, while the capacitive
reactance decreases with frequency. Therefore, the total impedance of a series RLC circuit is
frequency-dependent, and the behavior of the circuit changes as the frequency varies.
At a specific frequency known as the resonant frequency f0, the inductive reactance and
capacitive reactance cancel each other out, leading to a minimum impedance, which equals the
resistance R. This resonance phenomenon occurs at:

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f0= 2 π∗√ LC Hz

Parallel RLC Circuit:

In a parallel RLC circuit, the resistor, inductor, and capacitor are connected across the same
voltage source. The total impedance Zt in a parallel RLC circuit is the reciprocal of the sum of the
reciprocals of the individual impedances:

1 1 1
Zt= R − Xcj + Xl j

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 The total impedance in this configuration also depends on the frequency of the applied AC
signal. As frequency decreases, the inductive reactance becomes more dominant, while as
frequency increases, the capacitive reactance dominates. At resonance, the impedance of the
parallel RLC circuit reaches its maximum value.
Frequency-Dependence of Impedance:
The impedance of both series and parallel RLC circuits varies with frequency. In a series circuit,
at low frequencies, the capacitive reactance dominates, causing the circuit impedance to
increase. At high frequencies, the inductive reactance dominates, also increasing the
impedance. However, at resonance, the impedance is minimized (in a series circuit), leading to
maximum current flow. In contrast, in a parallel circuit, the impedance is minimized at
resonance, allowing maximum current to flow through the circuit.

Circuits Configuration:
In series circuit:
 Capacitor 2.2 uF
 Inductor 100 mH
 Resistor 1k ohm

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In series circuit:
 Capacitor 0.1 uF
 Inductor 100 mH
 Resistor 1k ohm

Note: We add a resistor 1 ohm to avoid the short circuit due to the behave of inductor in zero
frequency.

Theoretical Results:
In series circuits:
Theoretical
Vs R Xc XL Zt I
7.07|0 1000|0 144.686|-90 314.159|90 1014.25|9.6186 6.97|-9.6186

Theoretical
Vr VL Vc F0
6.97|-9.6186 2.189|80.3814 1.008|-99.618 339.3195

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In Parallel circuits:
Theoretical
Vs R XL XC Zt It mA
7.071|0 1K|0 1.2566k|90 0.79577k|-90 0.9082k|-24.74 7.785|24.74

Theory
IL mA IC mA IR mA F0
5.626|-90 8.884|90 7.07|0 1591.549

Simulation and Graphs:

First series circuits:
The graphs of the resistor, inductive reactance and capacitive reactance with the frequency

Figure 1

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It shows the increasing of inductive reactance with the increasing of frequency and the
decreasing of capacitive reactance with increasing the frequency.

Figure 2

The first graphs show the relationship between the impedance and the frequency
, and in instant frequency the Zt = R in f0 .

The second graphs show the relationship between the phase angle and the frequency.

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Applying KVL:

Figure 3

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Figure 4
In oscilloscope:
By using the oscilloscope to recognize the angle of the voltages.
The voltage of the resistor (the current) is lagging the voltage source as shown in the figure (5)

Figure 5

Note: The yellow wave is the source wave, and the blue wave is the resistor wave(current).

The voltage of the capacitor is lagging the voltage source as shown in the figure (6)

Figure 6

Note: The yellow wave is the source wave, and the blue wave is the capacitor wave.

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The voltage of the inductor is leading the voltage source as shown in the figure (7)

Figure 7

Note: The yellow wave is the source wave, and the red wave is the inductor wave.

By using the cursor button to find the delta theat.

Result:
The current is lagging the voltage(S)
Delta T T ms Theta Delta Th
0.054 2 360 -9.72

The voltage of inductor is leading the

current
Delta T T ms Theta Delta Th
0.444 2 360 79.92

The voltage of capacitor is lagging the

current
Delta T T ms Theta Delta Th
0.554 2 360 -99.72

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 - The relationship between the current and the frequency and phase angle.

Figure 8

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First parallel circuits:

Figure 9

It shows the before the f0 the inductive reactance becomes more dominant, and after the f0 the
capacitive reactance becomes more dominant, because the less reactance the more dominant.

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 Figure 10

It shows the relationship between the current and the frequency and the phase angle.

Applying KCL

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Figure 11
 Figure 12

In oscilloscope:
The current of the inductor is lagging the voltage source as shown in the figure (13)

Figure 13
Note: The yellow wave is the source wave, and the blue wave is the inductor wave.

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The current of the capacitor is leading the voltage source as shown in the figure (14)

Figure 14

Note: The yellow wave is the source wave, and the blue wave is the capacitor wave.

Results:
The current is leading the voltage source
Delta T T ms Theta D th
0.0314 0.5 360 22.608

The current of capacitor is leading the

voltage source
Delta T T ms Theta D th
0.125 0.5 360 90

The current of inductor is lagging the

voltage source
Delta T T ms Theta D th
0.124 0.5 360 -89.28

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 Conclusion

In this experiment, we successfully explored the relationship between frequency and

impedance in series and parallel RLC circuits. The results confirmed that impedance varies with
frequency, displaying distinct behaviors in each circuit configuration. In the series RLC circuit,
the impedance decreased to a minimum value at the resonance frequency, where inductive and
capacitive reactances cancel each other out, leading to maximum current flow. In contrast, the
parallel RLC circuit showed maximum impedance at resonance, leading to minimal current flow.
By applying Kirchhoff's Voltage and Current Laws, we validated the voltage and current
distributions in both circuits, confirming that the theoretical predictions aligned with the
experimental results. Overall, the experiment provided a deeper understanding of the
frequency-dependent behavior of RLC circuits and demonstrated the significance of resonance
in determining the impedance characteristics, thus reinforcing the foundational concepts of AC
circuit analysis.

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