Alternating Current (AC)

Circuits
AC Voltages and Phasors
Resistors, Inductors and Capacitors in AC
Circuits
RLC Circuits
Power and Resonance
AC Sources and Phasors
Consider a sinusoidal voltage source:
) sin( ) (
max
t V t V e =
This source can be represented graphically as a vector called a phasor:
et
time
T
V
max
-V
max
V
max V(t)

b
c
b
c
d
e
d
a,e
a
Great web page:
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/%7Ejw/AC.html
Resistors in AC Circuits
R
R
v t V
v v
A = A
= A A
e sin
0
max
t I t
R
V
R
v
i
R
R
e e sin sin
max
max
=
A
=
A
=
R
V
I
max
max
A
=
Since both have the
same arguments in
the sine term, i
R
and
Av
R
are in line, they
are in phase.
t R I v
R
e sin
max
= A
t I i
R
e sin
max
=
t RI Ri t
R
e
2
2
max
2
sin ) ( = = P
t RI Ri t
R
e
2
2
max
2
sin ) ( = = P
max
max
2 2
max
707 . 0
2
2
1
I
I
I
R I RI
rms
rms av
= =
=
|
.
|

\
|
= P
max
max
707 . 0
2
V
V
V
rms
A =
A
= A
Root Mean Square (RMS) Current
and Voltage
Announcements
Cell phones on silent
Check mid-term grades.
Inductors in AC Circuits
dt
di
L t V
v v
L
= A
= A A
e sin
0
max
tdt
L
V
di e sin
max
A
=
t
L
V
di i
L
e
e
cos
max
A
= =
}
|
.
|

\
|

A
=
2
sin
max
t
e
e
t
L
V
i
L
L
X
V
L
V
I
max max
max
A
=
A
=
e
L X
L
e =
t X I v
L L
e sin
max
= A
Inductive
Reactance
For a sinusoidal voltage,
the current in the inductor
always lags the voltage
across it by 90.
Inductors in AC Circuits
Filter for woofer
Low frequencies
pass through
High frequencies
get blocked.
V
R

Frequency
Woofer
Capacitors in AC Circuits
t V v v
C
e sin
max
A = A = A
t V C q e sin
max
A =
|
.
|

\
|
+ A =
A = =
2
sin
cos
max
max
t
e e
e e
t V C i
t V C
dt
dq
i
C
C
C
X
V
V C I
max
max max
A
= A = e
C
X
C
e
1
=
Capacitive
Reactance
t X I v
C C
e sin
max
= A
For a sinusoidal voltage,
the current in the
capacitor always leads
the voltage across it by
90.
Inductors in AC Circuits
Filter for tweeter
High frequencies
pass through
Low frequencies
get blocked.
V
R

Frequency
Tweeters
RLC Series Circuit
t V v e sin
max
A = A
( ) | e = t I i sin
max
t V t R I v
R R
e e sin sin
max
A = = A
t V t X I v
L L L
e
t
e cos
2
sin
max
A =
|
.
|

\
|
+ = A
t V t X I v
C C C
e
t
e cos
2
sin
max
A =
|
.
|

\
|
= A
C L R
v v v v A + A + A = A
Using Phasors in a RLC Circuit
( )
( ) ( )
( )
2
2
max max
2
max max
2
max max
2 2
max
C L
C L
C L R
X X R I V
X I X I R I V
V V V V
+ = A
+ = A
A A + A = A
( )
2
2
max
max
C L
X X R
V
I
+
A
=
( )
2
2
C L
X X R Z +
Impedance
Z I V
max max
= A
|
.
|

\
|

=

R
X X
C L
1
tan |
R = 425 O
L = 1.25 H
C = 3.5 F
e = 377 s
-1

AV
max
= 150 V
( )( )
O = = =

758
5 . 3 377
1 1
1
F s C
X
C
e
( )( ) O = = =

471 25 . 1 377
1
H s L X
L
e
( ) ( ) ( ) O = O O + O = + = 513 758 471 425
2 2 2
2
C L
X X R Z
A
V
Z
V
I 292 . 0
513
150
max
max
=
O
=
A
=
=
|
.
|

\
|
O
O O
=
|
.
|

\
|
=

34
425
758 471
tan tan
1 1
R
X X
C L
|
( )( ) V A R I V
R
124 425 292 . 0
max
= O = = A
( )( ) V A X I V
L L
138 471 292 . 0
max
= O = = A
( )( ) V A X I V
C C
221 758 292 . 0
max
= O = = A
( ) t V v
C
377 cos 221 = A
( ) t V v
L
377 cos 138 = A
( ) t V v
R
377 sin 124 = A
Example 33.5
Power in an AC Circuit
( ) t V t I v i e | e sin sin
max max
A = A = P
( )
| e e | e
e | e | e
sin cos sin cos sin
sin sin cos cos sin
max max
2
max max
max max
t t V I t V I
t t t V I
A A =
A =
P
P
| cos
2
1
max max
V I
av
A = P
| cos
rms rms av
V I A = P
R I V v
R max max
cos = A = A |
2 2
max
max
max max
R I
I
V
R I V
I
rms rms av
=
A
|
.
|

\
| A
= P
R I
rms av
2
= P
For a purely resistive load, |=0
rms rms av
V I A = P
No power loss occurs in
an ideal capacitor or
inductor.
Resonance in Series RLC Circuits
Z
V
I
rms
rms
A
=
( )
2
2
C L
rms
rms
X X R
V
I
+
A
=
A circuit is in resonance when its current is maximum.
I
rms
=max when X
L
-X
C
=0
C
L
X X
C L
0
0
1
e
e =
=
LC
1
0
= e Resonance Frequency
Tuner for radio!
www.barlowwadley.it
Inductor
Variable
Capacitors
LC
1
0
= e