PHY 102 (GENERAL PHYSICS II)
ALTERNATING CURRENT cont.
Capacitors in ac
circuits
The “resistance” of the capacitor to
current in the circuit is known as
capacitive reactance
XC = 1/(wC)
SI unit of reactance: Ohm (W) = s/F
Vrms = IrmsXC OR Vmax = ImaxXC
The voltage lags behind the current by 90°.
V=Q/C: When I>0, capacitor is charging,
When I<0, capacitor is discharging.
The average power consumed by a capacitor in
an ac circuit is zero.
Every ½ cycle capacitor stockpiles energy;
During next ½ cycle capacitor discharges energy
to circuit.
EXAMPLE
A rms voltage of 10.0 V with a frequency of 1.00 kHz is
applied to a 0.395mF capacitor. (a) What is the rms
current in this circuit?
Solu.
Given: f = 1.00 kHz, c = 0.395mF
Using X C 1 /(C )
where = 2f
1
X C 1 /(C ) 6
403
(2 )(1000 Hz )(0.395 10 F )
I rms Vrms / X C 10.0V /( 403) 0.0248 A
Inductors in AC
circuits
The “resistance” of the inductor to
current in the circuit is known as
inductive reactance
XL = wL
SI unit of reactance: Ohm (W) = H/s
Vrms = IrmsXL OR Vmax = ImaxXL
The voltage leads the current by 90°.
The voltage required to drive the current is
maximized when the current is changing the
fastest.
The average power consumed by an
inductor in an ac circuit is zero.
RC Circuit:
Equivalent Circuit
Irms
Vrms
= Z
2
1
Z R 2 X C2 R 2
C
I rms Vrms / Z
Phasors
We can represent the current and the voltage across the inductor (VL),
capacitor (VC) and resistor (VR) by vector diagrams called phasors. The
current I is always parallel to VR. In this graph, the phasor is frozen at the
moment I(t) is parallel to x-axis. The voltage vectors indicate their phase
relative to the current:
VL V VL- VC
f
I VR
VR
f is the phase angle between the
VC current and the voltage in the
VL VC I X L X C, cos VR R
circuit
tan V Z
VR IR
RC Circuit, Alternating Current
VR = I(t) R
I(t)
VC = Q(t)/C
erms
VR,rms= Irms R
VC,rms = Irms /(wC)
erms = Irms Z
Z = [R2+XC2]1/2
The RLC Series Circuit
The effective
resistance of the
circuit is given by
the impedance Z:
Z R 2 ( X L X C )2
Imax = Vmax / Z
V=IZ
Irms = Vrms / Z
SI unit of impedance: ohm
The RLC Series Circuit
Z R 2 ( X L X C )2
I V / Z
VR IR V ( R / Z )
VC IX C V ( X C / Z )
VL IX L V ( X L / Z )
Resonance w2=1/(LC) XL=XC VL
VL=VC = VR XC /R
VR
If XC >>R, at resonance, then
VC >>VR
VC
Resonance in a Series RLC
Circuit
The current in a series RLC circuit is
Vmax Vmax
I max
Z R2 ( X L X C )2
The current will be
maximum when XL = XC
at a resonance frequency
w of 1
0
LC
Z ( 0 ) R
To find the amplitude (0) and phase () of the total voltage we add VL, VR, and VC
together by using phasors.
0 V VL VC
R
2 2
VL
IR IX L IX C
0 2 2
VL V C
I R 2 X L X C
2
VR X
VC IZ
Z is called impedance.
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The phase angle between the current in the
circuit and the input voltage is:
y
VL
0 VL VC X L X C
tan
VL V C VR R
VR R
VR X cos
VC
0 Z
> 0 when XL > XC and the voltage leads the current (shown above).
< 0 when XL < XC and the voltage lags the current.
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