MODULE 3

SINGLE PHASE SERIES AC CIRCUIT

EE – 420 Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering

 CAPACITORS
A capacitor is an electric device constructed of two parallel conductive plates separated by an
insulating material called the dielectric.
 CAPACITANCE
The amount of charge that a capacitor can store per unit voltage across its plates, designated by
the symbol, “C”.

Where C is capacitance, Q is charge, and V is Voltage.

Farad(F) is the unit of Capacitance. Most capacitors that are used in electronics work have
capacitance values in microfarads and picofarads
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
HOW CAPACITORS STORE ENERGY
A capacitor stores energy in an electric field that is established by the opposite charges on its two
plates. This electric field is represented by lines of force between the positive and negative
charges and is concentrated within the dielectric material of the capacitor. When the plates of a
capacitor are connected to a battery, they acquire opposite charges, creating the electric field
between them. This electric field is what stores the energy. The amount of energy stored is
directly related to the size of the capacitor and the square of the voltage applied.

Where C is in Farads, and V is in Volts, the energy W is in joules.

 CAPACITORS IN SERIES
When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is less than the smallest
capacitance value because the effective plate separation increases. The calculation of total
series capacitance is analogous to the calculation of total resistance of parallel resistors.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance of the circuit
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance of the circuit
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance of the circuit
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance of the circuit
 EXAMPLE
Find the voltage across each capacitor
 EXAMPLE
Find the voltage across each capacitor

QT = Q1 = Q2 = Q3
V = Q/C

QT = VT*CT = 25 (0.06x10-6) = 1.5x10-6C

V1 = Q/C = 1.5x10-6 / 0.1x10-6 = 15V

V2 = Q/C = 1.5x10-6 / 0.47x10-6 = 3.19V
V3 = Q/C = 1.5x10-6 / 0.22x10-6 = 6.82V
 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL
When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance is the sum of the individual
capacitances because the effective plate area increases. The calculation of total parallel
capacitance is analogous to the calculation of total series resistance
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance and voltage across each capacitor.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance and voltage across each capacitor.
 CAPACITIVE REACTANCE
It is the opposition to sinusoidal current in a capacitor.
The symbol for capacitive reactance is XC and its unit is ohm.
 EXAMPLE
A sinusoid voltage is applied to a capacitor. The frequency of the sine wave is 1.0kHz.
Determine the capacitive reactance.
 EXAMPLE
A sinusoid voltage is applied to a capacitor. The frequency of the sine wave is 1.0kHz.
Determine the capacitive reactance.
REACTANCE IN SERIES CAPACITORS
"When capacitors are in series in an AC circuit, the total capacitance is smaller than the smallest
individual capacitance. Because the total capacitance is smaller, the total capacitive reactance
(opposition to current) must be larger than any individual capacitive reactance. With series
capacitors, the total capacitive reactance (𝑋𝐶(𝑡𝑜𝑡)) is the sum of the individual reactances.
REACTANCE IN PARALLEL CAPACITORS

In AC circuits with parallel capacitors, the total capacitance is the sum of the capacitances.
Recall that the capacitive reactance is inversely proportional to the capacitance. Because the
total parallel capacitance is larger than any individual capacitances, the total capacitive reactance
must be smaller than the reactance of any individual capacitor. With parallel capacitors, the total
reactance is found by
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total capacitance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total capacitive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total capacitive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total capacitive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total capacitive reactance of the circuit.
OHM’S LAW
 EXAMPLE
Determine the rms current of the circuit
 EXAMPLE
Determine the rms current of the circuit
 EXAMPLE
1. Calculate the capacitive reactance of a capacitor of 20 μF when connected to an a.c. circuit
of frequency 20 Hz.
2. A capacitor has a capacitive reactance of 400 when connected to a 100 V, 25 Hz supply.
Determine its capacitance and the current taken from the supply.
3. Two similar capacitors are connected in parallel to a 200 V, 1 kHz supply. Find the value of
each capacitor if the current is 0.628 A.
 EXAMPLE
1. Calculate the capacitive reactance of a capacitor of 20 μF when connected to an a.c. circuit
of frequency 20 Hz.

1 1
a) Capacitive reactance, X C   6
= 397.9 
2 f C 2 20  20 10

2. A capacitor has a capacitive reactance of 400 when connected to a 100 V, 25 Hz supply.

Determine its capacitance and the current taken from the supply.
1 1 1
Capacitive reactance, X C  from which, capacitance, C = 
2 f C 2 f XC 2  25 400 

= 15.92 F

V 100
Current, I =  = 0.25 A
X L 400
 EXAMPLE
3. Two similar capacitors are connected in parallel to a 200 V, 1 kHz supply. Find the value
of each capacitor if the current is 0.628 A.

V 200
XC   = 318.47 
I 0.628

1 1
i.e.  318.47 , hence, total capacitance, CT  = 0.50 F
2 f C 2 10   318.47 
3

0.50
Since for parallel connection of capacitors, CT  C1  C2  2C1 , then C1  = 0.25 F
2

i.e. each capacitor has a capacitance of 0.25 F

INDUCTORS
An inductor is a passive electrical component, formed
by a coil of wire, that exhibits the property of
inductance.

When a length of wire is formed into a coil, as shown

in the figure, it becomes an inductor. Current through
the coil produces an electromagnetic field.
 INDUCTANCE
Inductance is a measure of a coil’s ability to establish an induced voltage as a result of change in
its current, and that induced voltage is in a direction to oppose that change in current.

The unit of inductance is HENRY, symbolized by “H”.

An inductor stores energy in the magnetic field created by the current and is expressed as:

Where I is in amperes, L is in Henries and W is in joules.

TOTAL SERIES INDUCTANCE
 EXAMPLE
Determine the total inductance of the figure shown.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the total inductance of the figure shown.
TOTAL PARALLEL INDUCTANCE
 EXAMPLE
Determine the total inductance of the figure shown.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the total inductance of the figure shown.
 INDUCTIVE REACTANCE
Inductive reactance is the opposition to sinusoidal current in an inductor.

The symbol for inductive reactance is XL, and its unit is the ohm.
 EXAMPLE
A sinusoidal voltage is applied to the circuit shown. The frequency is 10kHz. Determine the
inductive reactance.
 EXAMPLE
A sinusoidal voltage is applied to the circuit shown. The frequency is 10kHz. Determine the
inductive reactance.
REACTANCE FOR SERIES INDCTORS
REACTANCE FOR PARALLEL INDCTORS
 EXAMPLE
Find the total inductive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total inductive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total inductive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total inductive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total inductive reactance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Find the total inductive reactance of the circuit.
OHM’S LAW
 EXAMPLE
Determine the rms current in the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the rms current in the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
1. A coil has a reactance of 120ohms in a circuit with a supply frequency of 4 kHz. Calculate
the inductance of the coil.
2. A supply of 240 V, 50 Hz is connected across a pure inductance and the resulting current is
1.2 A. Calculate the inductance of the coil.
3. An e.m.f. of 200 V at a frequency of 2 kHz is applied to a coil of pure inductance 50 mH.
Determine (a) the reactance of the coil, and (b) the current flowing in the coil.
 EXAMPLE
1. A coil has a reactance of 120ohms in a circuit with a supply frequency of 4 kHz. Calculate
the inductance of the coil.

XL 120
X L  2 f L hence, inductance, L =  = 4.77 mH
2 f 2  4 10 
3
 EXAMPLE
2. A supply of 240 V, 50 Hz is connected across a pure inductance and the resulting current is 1.2
A. Calculate the inductance of the coil.

V 240
Inductive reactance, X L   = 200 Ω
I 1.2
XL 200
X L  2 f L hence, inductance, L =  = 0.637 H
2 f 2  50 
 EXAMPLE
3. An e.m.f. of 200 V at a frequency of 2 kHz is applied to a coil of pure inductance 50 mH.
Determine (a) the reactance of the coil, and (b) the current flowing in the coil.

(a) Inductive reactance, X L  2 f L  2  2 103  50 103  = 628 

V 200
(b) Current, I =  = 0.318 A
X L 628
SAMPLE PROBLEMS:
1. (a) Calculate the reactance of a coil of inductance 0.32 H when it is connected to a
50 Hz supply. (b) A coil has a reactance of 124 ohms in a circuit with a supply of
frequency 5 kHz. Determine the inductance of the coil.

2. A coil has an inductance of 40 mH and negligible resistance. Calculate its inductive

reactance and the resulting current if connected to (a) a 240 V, 50 Hz supply, and
(b) a 100 V, 1 kHz supply

3. Determine the capacitive reactance of a capacitor of 10 μF when connected to a

circuit of frequency (a) 50 Hz (b) 20 kHz.
SOLUTION:
 IMPEDANCE
Impedance (Z) is the effective resistance of an electric circuit or component to alternating
current, arising from the combined effects of ohmic resistance and reactance. It can be
represented by a complex form, either in rectangular or polar form.

Rectangular form: Z = R ± jX
Polar form: Z = Zm ∠ϕ

Also, the impedance Z of a circuit is the ratio of the phasor voltage E to the phasor current I,
measured in ohms (Ω). It represents the opposition which the circuit exhibits to the flow of
sinusoidal current.
E
Z=
I
 IMPEDANCE
Frequently, for solving the impedance, impedance triangle is used. It is the right-angled triangle
formed by the vectors representing the resistance drop, the reactance drop, and the impedance
drop of a circuit carrying an alter. Example of an impedance triangle is shown below:

where:
R = resistance in ohm
X = reactance in ohm
Zm = magnitude of impedance in ohm,
= R2 ± X 2
Ø = angle in degree
 RESISTANCE AND REACTANCE
Resistance
Resistance is an electrical quantity that measures how the device or
material reduces the electric current flow through it. The resistance is
measured in units of ohms(Ω)

Reactance
Reactance is the opposition of a circuit element to a change in
current or voltage, due to that element’s inductance or capacitance. It is
the property of inductor or capacitor which opposes the flow of current.
 POWER FACTOR

Power factor
Power factor is a measure of the electrical systems efficiency. It
is defined as the ratio of the resistance and impedance or it is the
cosine of the angle between the impressed voltage and the current.
Like all ratio measurements, power factor (pf) is a unitless quantity.
However, for ac supply it is necessary to determine if the power
factor is leading or lagging.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERIES
AC CIRCUIT
PURELY RESISTIVE AC CIRCUIT
A pure resistance circuit takes a current in phase with the impressed voltage. This
implies that the power factor is unity. Therefore, the applied voltage has to supply the
ohmic voltage drop only. Hence,

e = iR
PURELY RESISTIVE AC CIRCUIT
 PURELY INDUCTIVE AC CIRCUIT
A pure inductance circuit takes the current IL that lags the applied voltage EL by 90°.
In a purely inductive circuit the opposition to the flow of alternating current is called
the inductive reactance, XL

EL
xL = = 2πfL Ω
IL
where
EL = the voltage across the inductance in volt (V)
IL = the current through the inductance in ampere (A)
f = the supply frequency in hertz (Hz)
L = the inductance in henry (H)
PURELY CAPACITIVE AC CIRCUIT
A pure capacitance circuit takes a current IC that leads the applied voltage EC by 90°.
In a purely capacitive circuit the opposition to the flow of alternating current is called
the capacitive reactance, XC

EC 1
xC = = Ω
IC 2πfC

where
EC = the voltage across the capacitance in volt (V)
IC = the current through the capacitance in ampere (A)
f = the supply frequency in hertz (Hz)
C = the capacitance in farad (F)
 SERIES RC CIRCUIT
In a purely resistive circuit, the impedance is simply
equal to the total resistance. In a purely capacitive
circuit, the impedance is the total capacitive
reactance. The impedance of a series RC circuit is
determined by both the resistance (R) and the
capacitive reactance (XC).
SERIES RC CIRCUIT
 SERIES RC CIRCUIT
In an ac circuit containing capacitance C and
resistance R, the applied voltage E is the phasor sum
of ER and EC and thus the current I leads the applied
voltage E by an angle lying between 0° and 90°.
 SERIES RC CIRCUIT
Development of an impedance triangle for a series RC circuit.
SERIES RC CIRCUIT
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle of the RC circuit. Draw the impedance triangle.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle of the RC circuit. Draw the impedance triangle.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance of the RC circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance of the RC circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the current IT, the resistive voltage VR and the capacitive voltage VC.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the current IT, the resistive voltage VR and the capacitive voltage VC.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the phase angle of the circuit shown.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the phase angle of the circuit shown.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the current and the phase angle in the RC Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the current and the phase angle in the RC Circuit..

𝑋 4820
𝜃 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ( 𝐶) = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = 𝟔𝟓. 𝟒𝟕𝒐
𝑅 2200
 EXAMPLE
A voltage of 35 V is applied across a C-R series circuit. If the voltage across the resistor is 21 V,
find the voltage across the capacitor.
 EXAMPLE
A voltage of 35 V is applied across a C-R series circuit. If the voltage across the resistor is 21 V,
find the voltage across the capacitor.

Supply voltage, V = VR 2  VC2 i.e. V 2  VR 2  VC 2

i.e. 352  212  VC 2

from which, voltage across the capacitor, VC  352  212 = 28 V

 EXAMPLE
A resistance of 50 ohms is connected in series with a capacitance of 20 uF. If a supply of 200 V,
100 Hz is connected across the arrangement find (a) the circuit impedance, (b) the current
flowing
 EXAMPLE
The circuit diagram is shown below.
A resistance of 50 ohms is
connected in series with a
capacitance of 20 uF. If a
supply of 200 V, 100 Hz is
connected across the
arrangement find (a) the
circuit impedance, (b) the 1 1
(a) Capacitive reactance, X C   = 79.577 
current flowing 2 f C 2 100   20  106 

Impedance, Z = R 2  XC2  502  79.5772 = 93.98 

V 200
(b) Current, I =  =2
Z 93.98
 EXAMPLE
A 400 ohms resistor is connected in series with a 2358 pF capacitor across a 12 V a.c. supply.
Determine the supply frequency if the current flowing in the circuit is 24 mA.
 EXAMPLE
A 400 ohms resistor
is connected in
series with a 2358
pF capacitor across Impedance, Z =
V

12
= 500 
a 12 V a.c. supply. I 24  103

Determine the From the impedance triangle (as in the previous problem), Z2  R 2  X L 2
supply frequency if
the current flowing from which, capacitive reactance, X C  Z2  R 2  5002  4002  300 
in the circuit is 24 1 1
Hence, 300 = 
mA. 2 f C 2 f  2358 1012 

1
from which, supply frequency, f = = 225 kHz
2  300   2358 10 12 
 PARALLEL RC CIRCUIT
A parallel RC circuit is a type of electrical circuit where a
resistor (R) and a capacitor (C) are connected in parallel to
each other, and both are connected to the same voltage
source. This means the voltage across the resistor and the
capacitor is the same, but the current through each
component can be different.
PARALLEL RC CIRCUIT
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle in the RC Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle in the RC Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle in the RC Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle in the RC Circuit..
 SERIES RL CIRCUIT
In an ac circuit containing inductance L and
resistance R, the applied voltage E is the phasor sum
of ER and EL and thus the current I lags the applied
voltage E by an angle lying between 0° and 90°.
SERIES RL CIRCUIT
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle in the RL Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and the phase angle in the RL Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance in the RL Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance in the RL Circuit..
 EXAMPLE
The current in the figure is 200x10-6A. Determine the source voltage.
 EXAMPLE
The current in the figure is 200x10-6A. Determine the source voltage.
 SERIES RLC CIRCUIT
In an ac series circuit containing resistance R,
inductance L and capacitance C, the applied voltage
E is the phasor sum of ER, EL and EC. EL and EC are
anti-phase, displaced by 180°, and there are three
diagrams possible – each depending on the relative
values of EL and EC.
 PARALLEL RL CIRCUIT
A parallel RL circuit is a type of electrical circuit
where a resistor (R) and an inductor (L) are
connected in parallel to the same voltage source.
This means the voltage across both components is
the same, but the current through each component
can differ.
PARALLEL RL CIRCUIT
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and phase angle in the RL Circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and phase angle in the RL Circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and phase angle in the RL Circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Determine the impedance and phase angle in the RL Circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total current and the impedance of the circuit.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total current and the impedance of the circuit.
 SERIES RLC CIRCUIT
A series RLC circuit is an electrical circuit that
contains a resistor (R), an inductor (L), and a
capacitor (C) connected in series with a voltage
source. Since the components are in series, the same
current flows through all three components.
SERIES RLC CIRCUIT
When XL>XC, the circuit is
predominantly inductive, and when
Xc>XL, the circuit is predominantly
capacitive.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total impedance and the phase angle for the series RLC circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total impedance and the phase angle for the series RLC circuit..
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total impedance and the voltage across the resistor.
 EXAMPLE
Calculate the total impedance and the voltage across the resistor.
THANK YOU!