AlternatingCurrentCircuits.docVIP

Alternating Current Circuits Review of rms values. rms values are root-mean-square values of quantities (such as voltage and current) that vary periodically with time. In AC circuits voltage and current vary sinusoidally with time: where V and I are the voltage and current amplitudes, respectively. ( is the angular frequency (( = 2(f, where f is the frequency) and ( is a phase constant that we will discuss later. The rms values of voltage and current are defined to be Where the overbar indicates the average value of the function over one cycle. Since the average value of sin2( over one cycle is ?, we get Note that these formulas are valid only if the voltage varies sinusoidally with time. What we will study in this chapter is what happens to the current and power in an AC series circuit if a resistor, a capacitor and an inductor are present in the circuit. Resistors and Resistance If just a resistor of resistance R is connected across an AC generator the generator is said to have a purely resistive load. The phase constant ( is zero and we write . Since the angle for v and i is the same, the instantaneous voltage and current are said to be in phase. Note that is a constant independent of the frequency f of the AC generator. We assume that the resistor maintains its resistance regardless of how fast or slow the generator’s armature is turning. R, of course, is measured in ohms. For a purely resistive load the average power delivered to the circuit by the generator is given by which are analogous to the familiar formulas for DC circuits. P, as usual, is measured in watts. Capacitors and Capacitive Reactance Now let us connect just a capacitor of capacitance C across an AC generator. In this case the generator is said to have a purely capacitive load. The phase constant ( is and we write where XC is called the capacitive reactance. Capacitive reactance, like resistance, is measured in ohms. Since the angle for the instantaneous current is greater than the angle for th