Worked Examples, Chapter 1

Worked Example 1
Q A 2 k
resistor, a perfect 0.5 H inductor and a perfect 2.2
F capacitor are connected, in turn, across a 5 V,
1 kHz supply. For each case calculate the resulting current flow and sketch the relevant phasor diagram.
A
R  2000
; L  0.5 H; C  2.2  106 F; V  5 V; f  103 Hz

V 5
Resistor : I  volt 
R 2000
so, I  2.5 mA Ans

V
I
Inductor: Since this is a pure inductor, the only opposition to the flow of current
will be the inductive reactance, XL.
X L  2fL ohm  2  103  0.5
X L  3.142 k

V 5
I amp 
XL 3142
so, I  1.59 mA Ans

Capacitor: Similarly, since it is a perfect capacitor, then the only opposition to

current flow is the capacitive reactance, XC.
1 1
XC  ohm 
2fC 2  10  2.2  106
3

X C  73.34 k

V 5
I amp 
XC 73 430
so, I  69.1
A Ans
I

V 151
152 Supplementary Worked Examples

Worked Example 2
Q A pure inductor is connected across a 10 V, 200 Hz supply, and the current flowing through it is
measured as 0.4 A. Determine the value of its inductance.

A
V  10 V; f  200 Hz; I  0.4 A

V 10
XL  ohm 
I 0.4
so, X L  25

and, X L  2fL ohm
X 25
so, L  L henry 
2f 2  200
and, L  19.9 mH Ans

Worked Example 3
Q A perfect capacitor is connected across a 6 V, 5 kHz supply, and the resulting current flow is 88.6 mA.
Calculate the capacitance value.

A
V  6 V; f  5000 Hz; I  88.6  103 A

V 6
XC  ohm 
I 88.6  103
so, X C  67.72

1
and, X C  ohm
2fC
1 1
so, C  farad 
2fX C 2  5000  67.72
and C  4.7  107  0.47
F Ans

Worked Example 4
Q A coil of wire is tested by connecting it, in turn, to a d.c. supply and then an a.c. supply. The results
from these two tests are as follows:
d.c. supply of 10 V; resulting current flow 50 mA
a.c. supply of 10 V, 100 Hz; resulting current flow 32 mA
Using the results of these two tests, determine the resistance and inductance values for the coil.

A
d.c. test: V  10 V; I  50  103 A
 Supplementary Worked Examples 153

Since the d.c. current is a steady current then the only opposition to the current
will be the resistance of the coil.
V 10
R ohm 
I 50  103
so, R  200
Ans

a.c. test: V  10 V; I  32  103 A; f  100 Hz

In this case the opposition to the flow of alternating current will be the
combined effect of its resistance and its inductive reactance, i.e. the total
opposition is the coil impedance, Z.
V 10
Z ohm 
I 32  103
so, Z  312.5

Now, Z  R 2  X L2 ohm or, Z 2  R 2  X L2

so, X L2  Z 2  R 2

and, X L  Z 2  R 2 ohm  312.52  2002

 57 656
so, X L  240

XL 240
L henry 
2f 2  100
hence, L  0.382 H Ans

Worked Example 5
Q A coil of resistance 25
and inductance 40 mH is connected to a 50 Hz a.c. supply, and the current
which then flows is 5.36 A. Calculate (a) the supply voltage, (b) the circuit phase angle, and (c) the
power dissipated.

A
R  25
; L  0.04 H; I  5.36 A; f  50 Hz
(a) X L  2fL ohm  2  50  0.04
so, X L  12.57

Z  R 2  X L2 ohm  252  12.572

and, Z  28

V  I Z volt  5.36  28
and, V  150 V Ans
(b) The impedance triangle for the coil is shown below.

Z XL

R
154 Supplementary Worked Examples

XL R X
φ  tan1  cos1  sin1 L
R Z Z
In order to minimise possible errors the last of the above equations will be
avoided, since it involves the use of two previously calculated values. So,
the first equation has been chosen.
XL 12.57
φ  tan1 tan1  tan1 0.5028
R 25
and, φ  26.7 or 0.466 rad Ans

(c) P  V I cos φ watt  150  5.36  cos 26.7

so, P  718.3 W Ans

Alternatively, since only resistive components dissipate power, then

P  I 2R watt  5.362  25  718.2 W

Note: In this case the power cannot be calculated from P  VI watt. This may be
verified by considering the circuit and phasor diagrams as shown below. From
the circuit diagram it can be seen that the p.d. across the resistive component
is VR and NOT V volt. This point illustrates the value of sketching the circuit and
phasor diagrams before proceeding with the calculations.

R L
VL V
25 Ω 40 mH

VR VL

φ
V VR
I

VR  I R volt  5.36  25  134 V

P  VR I watt  134  5.36
and, P  718.2 W, wh ich vertifies the previous calculated answer.

Worked Example 6
Q A 10 µ F capacitor is connected in series with a 270
resistor across a 20 V, 50 Hz supply. Calculate (a)
the current flowing, (b) the p.d.s across the resistor and the capacitor, and (c) the circuit power factor.

A
R  270
; C  105 F; V  20 V; f  50 Hz

The relevant circuit and phasor diagrams are shown below.

 Supplementary Worked Examples 155

R C
I
270 Ω 10 µF VR
φ
I

VR VC

V VC V
20 V

1 1
(a) XC  ohm 
2fC 2  50  105
so, X C  318.3

Z  R 2  X C2 ohm  2702  318.32

and, Z  417.4

V 20
I amp 
Z 4 17.4
hence, I  47.92 mA Ans

(b) VR  I R volt  47.92  103  270

VR  12.94 V Ans
VC  I X C volt  47.92  103  318.3
VC  15.25 V Ans

R
(c) p.f.  cos φ 
Z
270

417.4
so, p.f.  0.347 lagging Ans

Worked Example 7
Q A coil of resistance 330
and inductance 0.25 H is connected in series with a 10
F capacitor. This
circuit is connected across a 100 V, 80 Hz supply. Calculate (a) the circuit current, (b) the p.d.s. across
the coil and the capacitor, (c) the circuit phase angle and power factor, and (d) the power dissipated.

R  330
; L  0.25 H; C  105 F; V  100 V; f  80 Hz

Note that we are dealing with a practical coil, which possesses both resistance
and inductance. In order to simplify the calculations, such a coil is always
considered as comprising a perfect resistor in series with a perfect inductor, as
shown in the circuit diagram below.
156 Supplementary Worked Examples

coil

⎩
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎨
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎧
R L C

330 Ω 0.25 H
10 µF
I
VR VL

Vcoil VC

V
100 V

(a) X L  2fL ohm  2  80  0.25

X L  125.66

1 1
XC  ohm 
2fC 2  80  105
X C  198.94

Z  R 2  (X L  X C )2 ohm  3302  (125.66  198.94 )2

and, Z  338

V 100
I amp 
Z 338
hence, I  0.296 A Ans

(b) VR  I R volt  0.296  330  97.68 V

VL  I X L volt  0.296  125.66  37.2 V

Vcoil  VR2  VL2 volt  97.682  37.22

so, Vcoil  104.5 V Ans

VL Vcoil

VR
I

Alternatively: Z coil  R 2  X L2 ohm

 3302  125.662
Z coil  353.1

Vcoil  I Z coil volt  0.296  353.1
so, Vcoil  104.5 V Ans
VC  I X C volt  0.296  198.94
so, VC  58.9 V Ans

XL Zcoil

R
 Supplementary Worked Examples 157

(c) The complete phasor diagram is shown below.

VL Vcoil

VR
I
φ

(VC  VL) V

VC

VR 97.68
p.f.  cos φ  
V 10
hence, p.f.  0.977 lagging Ans
phase angle, φ  cos1 0.977
so, φ  12.5 lagging Ans
(d) P  V I cos φ watt or P  I 2R watt
 100  0.296  0.977  2962  330
P  28.9
9 W Ans P  28.9 W Ans

Worked Example 8
Q A coil of resistance 500
and inductance 0.2 H is connected in series with a 20 nF capacitor across a
10 V, variable frequency supply. Determine (a) the frequency at which the circuit current will be at its
maximum value, (b) the value of this maximum current, and (c) the p.d.s across both the coil and the
capacitor at this frequency.

A
R  500
; L  0.2 H; C  20  109 F; V  10 V

For the current to be at its maximum value, the circuit must be supplied at its
resonant frequency, fo Hz. This condition is shown by the phasor diagram below.

VL Vcoil

VR
I

VC
158 Supplementary Worked Examples

1 1
(a) fo  Hz 
2 LC 2 0.2  20  109
hence, fo  2.516 kHz Ans
(b) At resonance, VL  VC, so XL  XC
so they ‘cancel’ each other

V 10
and I  amp 
R 500
so, I  20 mA Ans

(c) X C  X L  2fo L ohm

 2  2516  0.2
so, X C  X L  3.162 k

VC  I X C ohm  0.02  3162
hence, VC  63.23 V Ans

Vcoil  I Z coil volt, where Z coil  R 2  X L2 ohm

 5002  31622
and, Z coil  3201

hence, Vcoil  0.02  3201  64 V Ans