IPhO 1983

Theoretical Question II

2.

Electricity Problem II (8
points)
Different kind of oscillation
Lets consider the electric circuit in the figure, for which L1 10 mH ,
L2 20 mH , C 1 10 nF , C 2 5 nF and R 100 k . The switch
K being closed the circuit is coupled with a source of alternating current.
The current furnished by the source has constant intensity while the
frequency of the current may be varied.
a. Find the ratio of frequency f m for which the active power in circuit
has the maximum value Pm and the frequency difference
f f f of the frequencies f and f for which the active
power in the circuit is half of the maximum power Pm .
The switch K is now open. In the moment t 0 immediately after the
switch is open the intensities of the currents in the coils L1 and
i 01 0,1 A and i 02 0,2 A L1 (the currents flow as in the
figure); at the same moment, the potential difference on the capacitor
with capacity C 1 is u 0 40V :
b. Calculate the frequency of electromagnetic oscillation in
L1C 1C 2 L 2 circuit;
c. Determine the intensity of the electric current in the AB
conductor;
d. Calculate the amplitude of the oscillation of the intensity of
electric current in the coil L1 .
Neglect the mutual induction of the coils, and the electric resistance of
the conductors. Neglect the fast transition phenomena occurring when
the switch is closed or opened.

Problem II - Solution
a. As is very well known in the study of AC circuits using the formalism of complex numbers, a complex
inductive reactance X L L j , ( j 1 ) is attached to the inductance L - part of a circuit
supplied with an alternative current having the pulsation .
Similar, a complex capacitive reactance X C

j
is attached to the capacity C .
C

A parallel circuit will be characterized by his complex admittance Y .

The admittance of the AC circuit represented in the figure is
Electricity Problem II - Solution
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IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

C1 C 2
1
1
1
Y

R L1 j L 2 j j
j

( 2.0)

Y 1 j C C 1 1
1 2

R
L
L
1 2

The circuit behave as if has a parallel equivalent capacity C

C C1 C 2

( 2.0)

and a parallel equivalent inductance L

1 1 1
L L L

1
2

( 2.0)

L L1L2
L1 L2
The complex admittance of the circuit may be written as
Y

1
1

j C

R
L

( 2.0)

and the complex impedance of the circuit will be

1
Z

1 1

j
C
R L

1
1
C

L
R

( 2.0)
2

The impedance Z of the circuit, the inverse of the admittance of the circuit Y is the modulus of the
complex impedance Z
ZZ

1
1

R

1
Y

( 2.0)

The constant current source supplying the circuit furnish a current having a momentary value i t
it I

2 sin t ,

( 2.0)

where I is the effective intensity (constant), of the current and is the current pulsation (that can
vary) . The potential difference at the jacks of the circuit has the momentary value u t
Electricity Problem II - Solution
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IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II
u t U 2 sin t

( 2.0)

where U is the effective value of the tension and is the phase difference between tension and
current.
The effective values of the current and tension obey the relation
U I Z

( 2.0)

The active power in the circuit is

P

U 2 Z2 I2

R
R

( 2.0)

Because as in the enounce,

I constant

R constant

( 2.0)

the maximal active power is realized for the maximum value of the impedance that is the minimal value
of the admittance .
The admittance
1
Y
R

1
C

has as function of the pulsation

Ymin

( 2.0)

- an the smallest value

1
R

( 2.0)

for the pulsation

m

1
L C

( 2.0)

In this case

1
0.
L

( 2.0)

So, the minimal active power in the circuit has the value
Pm R I 2

( 2.0)

and occurs in the situation of alternative current furnished by the source at the frequency f m
fm

1
1
m
2
2 C L

To ensure that the active power is half of the maximum power it is necessary that

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

1
P

Pm

2
2 2
Z I 1 2
R I

R
2

2 1
2
R2 Z2 Y

( 2.0)

That is
2
2 1
1
2 2 C
R R
L

1 C 1
R
L

( 2.0)

The pulsation of the current ensuring an active power at half of the maximum power must satisfy one of
the equations
2

1
1

0
R C
L C

( 2.0)

The two second degree equation may furnish the four solutions

1
1 1

2R C 2 R C

4
L C

( 2.0)

Because the pulsation is every time positive, and because

R C

4
1

L C R C

( 2.0)

the only two valid solutions are

1 1

2 R C

4
1

L C 2R C

It exist two frequencies f

of the maximum power.

( 2.0)

1
allowing to obtain in the circuit an active power representing half
2

f 1 1 1 4 1
2 2 R C
L C 2R C

2
1 1 1
4
1
f

2 2 R C
L C 2R C

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

The difference of these frequencies is

f f f

1 1
2 R C

( 2.0)

the bandwidth of the circuit the frequency interval around the resonance frequency having at the ends
a signal representing 1 2 from the resonance signal. At the ends of the bandwidth the active power
reduces at the half of his value at the resonance.
The asked ratio is

fm R C
C

L
f L C

fm R C1 C 2 L1 L2
f
L1 L2

( 2.0)*

Because

C 15 nF

20
L 3 mH
it results that
m 10 5 rad s 1
and
fm
C
3 15 10 9
R
100 10 3
150
f
L
20 10 3

( 2.0)

The (2.26) relation is the answer at the question a.

b. The fact that immediately after the source is detached it is a current in the coils, allow as to admit
that currents dependents on time will continue to flow through the coils.

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

Figure 2.1
The capacitors will be charged with charges variable in time. The variation of the charges of the
capacitors will results in currents flowing through the conductors linking the capacitors in the circuit.
The momentary tension on the jacks of the coils and capacitors identical for all elements in circuit is
also dependent on time. Lets admit that the electrical potential of the points C and D is u (t ) and the
potential of the points A and B is zero. If through the inductance L1 passes the variable current
having the momentary value i 1 t , the relation between the current and potentials is
u t L1

di 1
0
dt

( 2.0)

The current passing through the second inductance i 2 t has the expression,
u t L2

di 2
0
dt

( 2.0)

If on the positive plate of the capacitor having the capacity C1 is stocked the charge q1 t , then at
the jacks of the capacitor the electrical tension is u t and
q 1 C1 u

( 2.0)

Deriving this relation it results

dq 1
du
C1
dt
dt
But

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

dq 1
i 3
dt

( 2.0)

because the electrical current appears because of the diminishing of the electrical charge on capacitor
plate. Consequently
i 3 C1

du
dt

( 2.0)

Analogous, for the other capacitor,

i 4 C 4

du
dt

( 2.0)

Considering all obtained results

di1 u
dt L

di 2 u
dt L2

( 2.0)

respectively

d 2u
di 3
dt C1 dt 2

2
di 4 C d u
dt 2 dt 2

( 2.0)

Denoting i 5 t the momentary intensity of the current flowing from point B to the point A , then the
same momentary intensity has the current through the points C and D . For the point A the
Kirchhoff rule of the currents gives
i1 i 5 i 3

( 2.0)

For B point the same rule produces

i4 i5 i2

( 2.0)

Considering (2.37) and (2.38) results

i1 i 3 i 4 i 2

( 2.0)

and deriving
di1 di 3 di 4 di 2

dt
dt
dt
dt
that is

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

u u
d 2u
d 2u
L L C1 2 C 2 2
dt
dt
1 2

( 2.0)

u 1 1 d u C C
L L dt 2 1 2

1 2

Using the symbols defined above

u d 2u
2 C
L dt

u 1 u 0
LC

( 2.0)

Because the tension obeys the relation above, it must have a harmonic dependence on time
u t A sin t
( 2.0)
The pulsation of the tension is

1
L C

( 2.0)

Taking into account the relations (2.43) and (2.36) it results that

d
i 3 C1 A sin t C1 A cos t

dt

i C d A sin t C A cos t
2
2
4
dt

( 2.0)

and

di1 u 1
dt L L A sin t

1
1

di 2 u 1 A sin t
dt L2 L2
It results that

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

1
i 1
A cos t M
L

i 1 A cos t N
2 L2

( 2.0)

In the expression above, A , M , N and are constants that must be determined using initially
conditions. It is remarkable that the currents through capacitors are sinusoidal but the currents through
the coils are the sum of sinusoidal and constant currents.
In the first moment

u 0 u 0 40V

i1 0 i 01 0,1A

i 0 i 0,2 A
02
2

( 2.0)

Because the values of the inductances and capacities are

L1 0,01H
L 0,02 H
2

( 2.0)

C1 10 nF
C 2 5 nF
the equivalent inductance and capacity is

1 1 1
LL L
1
2

L1 L2
L1 L2

( 2.0)

2 10 4
1
H H
L
2
3 10
150

respectively

C C1 C 2

C 15 nF

From (2.44) results

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

1
15 10 9
150

10 5 rad s 1

( 2.0)*

The value of the pulsation allows calculating the value of the requested frequency b. This frequency
has the value f
f

10 5

Hz
2
2

( 2.0) *

c. If the momentary tension on circuit is like in (2.43), one may write

u 0 A sin u 0

u0

sin

( 2.0)

From the currents (2.47) is possible to write

1
i 01
A cos M
L

( 2.0)

i 1 A cos N
02 L2
On the other side is possible to express (2.39) as

i1 i 3 i 4 i 2
1
A cos t M C1 A cos t

C 2 A cos t

( 2.0)

1
A cos t N
L2

An identity as
A cos B C cos D

is valuable for any value of the argument

( 2.0)

only if

A C

B D
Considering (2.58), from (2.56) it results

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

M N 0

A 1 1
A

1
2

L1 L2

( 2.0)

For the last equation it results that the circuit oscillate with the pulsation in the relation (2.44)
Adding relations (2.55) and considering (2.54) and (2.59) results that

1 1 1
i 01 i 02 A cos
L1 L1

i 01 i 02
A
1 1 1

cos

L1 L1

( 2.0)

i 01 i 02

cos

1 1 1

A
L1 L1

cos i 01 i 02 L

The numerical value of the amplitude of the electrical tension results by summing the last relations from
(2.54) and (2.60)

u0

sin

cos i 01 i 02 L

2
2
cos sin 1

( 2.0)

u 0 i 01 i 02 L 1
A
A

A u 0 2 i 01 i 02 L 2

The numerical value of the electrical tension on the jacks of the circuit is

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

A 40 0,3 10 5
150

( 2.0)

A 40 200 40 26 V
2

And consequently from (2.54) results

u0

sin

sin 40 1

40 26 26

( 2.0)

and
cos

5
26

( 2.0)

Also

1
5

arctg 1 5
tg

( 2.0)

From (2.55)

1
M

A cos
01

N i 1 A cos
02

L2

( 2.0)

the corresponding numerical values are

1
5

0
,
1

40
26

A 0,1A

5
0
,
01

10
26

N 0,2 1 40 26 5 A 0,1 A

0,02 10 5
26

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0) *

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

The relations (2.47) becomes

4 26

~
cos105 t arctg 1 5 0,1 A i1 I 0
100

i1

( 2.0)

2 26

A ~i2 I 0

cos

10

arctg
1
5

0
,
1
2 100

The currents through the coils are the superposition of sinusoidal currents having different amplitudes
and a direct current passing only through the coils. This direct current has the constant value
I 0 0,1 A

( 2.0) *

as in the figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2
The alternative currents through the coils has the expressions

~ 4 26

cos
10

arctg
1
5
1

100

~ 2 26
5
A

cos
10

arctg
1
5
2 100

The currents through the capacitors has the forms

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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( 2.0)

IPhO 1983
Theoretical Question II

i 3 10 10 4 40 26 cos10 5 t arctg 1 5 A

4 26

cos
10

arctg
1
5
3

100

4
5
i 4 5 10 40 26 cos10 t arctg 1 5 A

( 2.0)

i 2 26 cos10 5 t arctg 1 5 A

4
100

The current i 5 has the expression

i 5 i 3 i1

8 26

cos

10

arctg
1
5

0
,
1
5 100

( 2.0)

The value of the intensity of i 5 current is the answer from the question c.
The initial value of this current is

8 26
i 5
100

5
0,1 A 0,3 A
26

( 2.0) *

d. The amplitude of the current through the inductance L1 is

4 26

4 26
~
max i1 max
cos10 5 t arctg 1 5 A
A 0,2 A
100
100

( 2.0) *

representing the answer at the question d.

Professor Delia DAVIDESCU, National Department of Evaluation and

ExaminationMinistry of Education and
Research- Bucharest, Romania
Professor Adrian S.DAFINEI,PhD, Faculty of Physics University of Bucharest,
Romania

Electricity Problem II - Solution

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