ALTERNATING CURRENT

(1) AC circuit containing resistor only

Consider a resistor of resistance R connected to an alternating emf source as

shown.

Let the applied emf be E  Eo sinωt .

Dividing both sides by R, we get

E Eo
 sinωt
R R

E Eo
 sinωt
R R
 I  Io sinωt

Therefore, current and voltage are in same phase.

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(2) AC circuit containing inductor only

Consider an inductor of inductance L connected

to an AC source as shown
Let the applied emf be E  Eo sinωt .

dI
Since E  L
dt

E
Therefore dI  dt
L

E
dI  dt
L
E sinωt
 dI  o dt
L
E
  dI   o sinωtdt
L
Eo
L 
I sinωtdt

E
 I  o   cosωt 
ωL
E  π 
 I   o sin   θ  
ωL   2 
Eo   π 
I  sin  θ   
ωL   2 
  π 
 I  Io sin  θ    Eo
  2  where Io 
ωL

π
Thus, there is a phase difference of between current and voltage in a purely inductive
2
circuit.

Phasors
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(3) AC circuit containing capacitor only

Consider an inductor of inductance L connected to an AC source as shown

Let the applied emf be E  Eo sinωt .

Since Q = CE

Q  CEo sinωt

Q  CEo sinωt
dQ d
I  CEo sinωt 
dt dt
 I  ωCEo cosωt
Eo
I cosωt
1
ωC
π
 I  Io sin(ωt  )
2

Eo
Where where  Io
1
ωC

π
Thus current leads the voltage by a phase of in a purely capacitive circuit.
2

Phasors
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(4) Impedance in series LCR circuit

Consider a resistor of resistance R, inductor of inductance L and capacitor of

capacitance C connected in series to an alternating EMF source as shown:
Voltage across all the components is shown in the diagram below

 VL  VC 
2
V  VR2
 VL  IXL , VR  IR, VC  IXC

IXL  IXC   IR 

2 2
V 

 V  I2  X L  XC   R 2
2

 V I  X L  XC   R 2
2


V
I
  X L  XC 
2
R 2

 XL  XC 
2
Z  R2

Where Z is called the impedance of the circuit.

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(5) Resonating frequency in series LCR circuit

Resonance occurs when inductive reactance becomes equal to capacitive reactance

XL  XC
1
 2πν rL 
2πv r C
1
  2πν r  
2

LC
1
 2πv r 
LC
1
 vr 
2π LC

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(6) Energy stored in an inductor

Consider an inductor of inductance L connected to a voltage source E as shown in figure
above. Let current at any instant be I.
As we know that instantaneous power is given by

P  EI
dI
As E  L
dt
dI
so, P  LI
dt
dW
P 
dt

dW dI
  LI
dt dt
 dW  LIdI
So, total work done by source to build a max. current Io in the circuit is
Io
 W   LIdI
0
Io
 I2 
 W L 
 2 0
 I2 
 W  L  0  0
2 
1
 W  LIo2
2

This work is stored in the circuit as magnetic potential energy. So,

1 2
UB  LIo
2

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(7) Power in series LCR circuit

Let a voltage E  Eo sinωt be applied to a series LCR circuit and current flowing through it is

Io sin  ωt  φ  , so instantaneous power supplied to the source is

P  EI  Eo sinωt  Io sin  ωt  φ 
EoIo
 cosφ  cos  2ωt  φ  
2 

The average power over a cycle is given by the average of the two terms in RHS of above
equation. It is only the second term which is time dependent. Its average is zero (the positive
half of the cosine cancels the negative half). Therefore

EoIo E I
P cos φ  o o cosφ
2 2 2
 P  ErmsIrms cosφ

For purely inductive or purely capacitive circuit

φ  90o  cosφ  0  P  0