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Basic Concepts EE Questions / Answers Electric Circuit Analysis Single Phase AC Circuits

Why Current Increases When

Capacitance Increases or Capacitive
Reactance Decreases?
Electrical Technology 0  2 minutes read

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In Capacitive Circuit, Why the Circuit Current (I) Increases, When

Capacitance (C) Increases or Inductive Reactance (XC) Decreases?

Next question from  electrical and electronics engineering interviews

question and answers series.
Explain the statement that ” In a capacitive circuit, when Capacitance
(C) increases or capacitive reactance (XC) decreases, the Circuit
Current (I) decreases“.

Related Question: Why Current Decreases When Inductance or

Inductive Reactance Increases?

Explanation:

We know that in DC circuits:

I = V / R,

But in case of AC circuits:

I=V/Z

Where “total resistance of AC circuits = Impedance = Z = √ (R2 + (XL –

XC2)”

In case of Capacitive circuit:

Z = √ (R2 + XC2)
I = V / XC or I = V/Z

It shows that in a capacitive circuit, Current is inversely proportional to

the capacitive reactance as well directly proportional to the
capacitance “C” as capacitance and capacitive reactances “XC” are
inversely proportional to each others.
 Related Question:  According to Ohm’s Law, I ∝ V, But I ∝ 1/V in
Power Equation. How do you Explain?

Let’s check with an example to see how current reduced by capacitive

reactance and increased by increasing the value of capacitor.

When Capacitance = 10 µF

Suppose a capacitive circuit where:

Capacitance = C = 10µ Farads

Voltage = V = 220 V
Frequency f = 50 Hz

To find the capacitive reactance;

XC = 1 / 2πfC

XC = 1 / (2 x 3.1415 x 50 x 10-6)

XC = 318.3 Ω

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Finally, current in capacitive circuit:

I = V / XC

I = 230V / 318.3 Ω

 I = 0.72 A 
 Related Question:  Why Power in Pure Inductive and Pure
Capacitive Circuit is Zero?

When Capacitance = 60 µF

Now we increased the value of capacitance (C) of a capacitor form 10

µF to 60 µF.

V = 220V, C = 60 µF, f = 50 Hz.

XC = 1 / 2πfC = 2 x 3.1415 x 50 x 60 µF = 53 Ω

I = V / XC = 230 V / 53 Ω

 I = 4.34 A 

Conclusion:

We can see that, When capacitance (C) was 10µF, then circuit current
were 0.72 A,

But when circuit capacitance increased from 10 µF to 60 µF, then the

current increased from 0.72 A to 4.34 A.

Hence proved,

In  a capacitive  circuit, when capacitance increases, the capacitive

reactance XC decreases which leads to increase the circuit current and
vise versa.

In oral or verbal,

Capacitive reactance is a kind of resistance. When resistance

increases, the circuit current decreases and vice versa.
Capacitance is inversely proportional to the capacitive reactance.

C ∝ 1 / XC

Current is directly proportional to the capacitance and inversely

proportional to capacitive reactance.
 I ∝ C      and      I ∝ 1/XC

Related Questions/Answers:

Why Flux in Primary and Secondary Winding is Always Equal?

Why the Circuit Power factor Decreases, when Inductance (L) or
inductive reactance (XL) increases?
In inductive circuit, Why Current increases, when frequency
Decreases?
Why the reactance of a system under fault condition is low and
faults currents may raise to the dangerously high value?
Why Inductive Reactance (XL In DC Supply Is Zero (0)?

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 Tags Capacitance Capacitive Reactance Current