• Purely Resistive Circuit

• Purely Capacitive Circuit

• RC Circuit

• Purely Inductive Circuit

• RL Circuit

• RLC Circuit

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ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – PURELY RESISTIVE CIRCUIT

𝑣  ( 𝑡 )=𝑉 max sin 𝜔 𝑡

The current and the voltage are in phase: they

simultaneously reach their maximum values,
The current across resistor, their minimum values, and their zero values.
 
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – PURELY CAPACITIVE CIRCUIT A capacitor is a passive element designed to store energy
in its electric field. Besides resistors, capacitors are the
most common electrical components. Capacitors are used
extensively in electronics, communications, computers,
and power systems. For example, they are used in the
tuning circuits of radio receivers and as dynamic memory
𝑣 𝐶 elements in computer systems
• Capacitance (C) is a measure of a capacitor’s
ability to store charge. The more charge per unit
of voltage that a capacitor can store, the greater
its capacitance. Unit:Farad (Coulomb/volt).
𝑣  ( 𝑡 )=𝑉 max sin 𝜔 𝑡
Capacitance affects the voltage across, and also
current flowing through a capacitor.

𝑞 ⅆ𝑞
 
𝐶= ,  𝐶 V =q 𝐼  =
𝑉 ⅆ𝑡
Current across the capacitor,  From trigonometric identity , cos t = sin t + 90 0
𝑞
𝑣  ( 𝑡 ) − =0
𝑐  
  q
 Hence, current across the capacitor leads the voltage across the
ⅆ𝑞
𝐼 𝐶 = =CV max   =   cos t capacitor by +90
ⅆ𝑡
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – PURELY CAPACITIVE CIRCUIT

The value of current will be maximum when sin(ωt ± 90o) = ±1. Therefore, the value of maximum current
Im will be given as:

 Imax = Vmax

to ohm’s law: An increase in the amount of current with a fixed amount of voltage
Vmax =  
(Refer
indicates that opposition to the current has decreased. Therefore, the capacitor offers
opposition to current, and that opposition is equal to called Capacitive Reactance and it
varies inversely with frequency)

Capacitive reactance (XL) is the opposition to sinusoidal current in a capacitor (unit:

ohm)

Reactance for series

capacitor,
Reactance for parallel
capacitor,
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RC CIRCUIT
In circuits where there is no reactance, the opposition to current is strictly resistance. In circuits having both
resistance and reactance, the opposition to current is more complex because of the reactance and the resulting
phase shift/angle. Impedance, which is the total opposition to ac need to be determined.

The impedance of a series RC circuit consists of resistance and capacitive reactance and is the total opposition to
sinusoidal current. Its unit is the ohm. The phase angle is the phase difference between the total current and the
source voltage.

Impedance,

Phase angle,
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RC CIRCUIT

Impedance triangle: Geometrical representation of circuit impedance.

It is the form of right-angled triangle whose base, perpendicular and
hypotenuse represents Resistance, Reactance and Impedance respectively

In ac analysis, both R and Xc are treated as phasor quantities, as shown in the phasor diagram (a) shown
below a with Xc appearing at an angle – 90o with respect to R. This relationship comes from the fact that
the capacitor voltage in a series RC circuit lags the current, and thus the resistor voltage, by -90 o

Impedance Triangle

Development of the impedance triangle for a series RC circuit

ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RC CIRCUIT
EXAMPLE 1
Calculate the impedance (Z) and phase angle for series RC circuit below. Draw the impedance triangle

2 2 2 2
𝑧= √ 𝑅 + 𝑋 = √( 47 𝛺 ) + ( 100 ) =110 𝛺
 
𝐶

  𝑋𝐶 100
𝜃=tan −1
𝑅 ( )
= tan −1
47( ) = 64.8o
 ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – PURELY INDUCTIVE CIRCUIT An inductor is a passive element designed to store energy in its
magnetic field. Inductors find numerous applications in electronic
and power systems. They are used in power supplies, transformers,
𝑣 𝐿 radios, TVs, radars, and electric motors
If current is allowed to pass through an inductor, it is found that
the voltage across the inductor is directly proportional to the time
rate of change of the current.
V
 

Inductance,L is a measure of a coil’s ability to

establish an induced voltage as a result of a
  0 change in its current, and that induced voltage
is in a direction to oppose that change in 90o
current. (unit Henry)
𝐼 𝐿(𝑡 )
=𝑉 max sin 𝜔 𝑡
ⅆ 𝑡 Inductance affects the voltage across, and also
current flowing through an inductor.
𝑉 𝑚𝑎𝑥
ⅆ  𝐼 𝐿 = sin 𝜔 𝑡 𝑑𝑡  From trigonometric identity , -cos t = sin t - 900
𝐿
  𝑉 𝑚𝑎𝑥   𝐼 = 𝑉 𝑚𝑎𝑥 sin 𝜔 𝑡 − 90 0
∫ ⅆ 𝐼 𝐿 = 𝐿 ∫ sin𝐿𝜔 𝑡 ⅆ 𝑡 𝜔 𝐿
Current across the inductor,
𝑉 𝑚𝑎𝑥  Hence, Current across the inductor lags the voltage across the inductor
=− cos 𝜔by𝑡-90
𝜔 𝐿
 ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – PURELY INDUCTIVE CIRCUIT
  𝐼 = 𝑉 𝑚𝑎𝑥 sin 𝜔 𝑡 − 90 0
𝐿
𝜔 𝐿

The value of current will be maximum when sin(ωt ± 90o) = ±1. Therefore, the value of maximum current
Im will be given as:

𝑉 𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑚𝑎𝑥=  (Refer to ohm’s law: An increase in the amount of current with a fixed
𝜔 𝐿
amount of voltage indicates that opposition to the current has decreased.
Therefore, the inductor offers opposition to current, and that opposition is
equal to called Inductive Reactance and it varies directly with frequency)

Inductive reactance is the opposition to sinusoidal current in an inductor. (unit ohm)

Reactance for series

inductor,
Reactance for parallel
inductor,
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RL CIRCUIT

The magnitude of the impedance, Z, of the series RL circuit

can be expressed in terms of the resistance and inductive
reactance as
(unit: ohm)

Phase angle,
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RL CIRCUIT

In ac analysis, both R and are treated as phasor quantities, as shown in the phasor diagram (a) with
appearing at +90o angle with respect to R. This relationship comes from the fact that the inductor
voltage leads the current, and thus the resistor voltage, by +90 o
Impedance Triangle

Development of the impedance triangle for a series RL circuit.

ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RL CIRCUIT

EXAMPLE 2
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RLC CIRCUIT RLC series circuit is a circuit that contains a combination of circuit
elements: a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor connected in series
across an alternating-voltage source.
•  Inductive reactance causes the total current to lag the source voltage.
Capacitive reactance has the opposite effect: It causes the current to lead
the voltage. Thus, and tend to offset each other. When they are equal, they
cancel, and the total reactance is zero. In any case, the total reactance or
equivalence resistance in a series circuit is:

• The term means the absolute value of the difference of the two reactances.
That is, the sign of the result is considered positive no matter which
reactance is greater.

• When 𝑋 𝐿 > 𝑋 𝑐 the circuit is predominantly inductive; and when the

 
circuit is predominantly capacitive. The total impedance for a series RLC
circuit is given by   Z

 and the value of the phase angle between and VS and I is

• The phase angle is positive (current leading voltage) when the circuit is
inductive and the phase angle is negative (current lagging voltage) when the
circuit is capacitive.
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – RLC CIRCUIT
Phasors make this
simple to see
Imax XL (VL)
Vmax = Imax XC
V 90o behind I

C Imax R
L Vmax = Imax XL
(VR)
V 90o ahead of I
R
Imax XC (VC)
Vmax = Imax R
V in phase with I Always looks the same.
Only the lengths will
change
ZCT 106/3 : AC circuit – Series RLC circuit

Knowing that all three components (L, C and

R) having different phase angle Φ, we need
to determine the NET phase angle when all
three components are in the same circuit.
The first step is to find the IMPEDANCE (Z)
which is the opposition to current flow in
AC circuit.
ZCT 106/3 : AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
The second step is to find the Net Phase
Angle (Φ) for the RLC circuit.

= Net Phase Angle

= arctan
ZCT 106/3 AC circuit – Series RLC circuit

Impedance Diagram – Largely Impedance Diagram – Largely

Inductive, positive phase angle Capacitive, negative phase angle
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit

EXAMPLE 3
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit

Voltages and Current in

Polar Form (Real-Imaginary axes)
Arrows are Phasors = rotating vectors
representing AC waveforms
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit

EXAMPLE 4
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit
ZCT 106/3: AC circuit – Series RLC circuit