UNIT-II

FUNDAMENTAL OF AC
CIRCUITS
 AC Fundamentals
 Previously you learned that DC sources have fixed polarities and constant
magnitudes and thus produce currents with constant value and unchanging
direction

 In contrast, the voltages of ac sources alternate in polarity and vary in

magnitude and thus produce currents that vary in magnitude and alternate in
direction.
 Sinusoidal ac Voltage

One complete variation is referred to as a cycle.

Starting at zero,
the voltage increases to a positive peak
amplitude, decreases to zero,
changes polarity,
increases to a negative peak amplitude,
then returns again to zero.

 Since the waveform repeats itself at regular intervals, it is called a periodic

signal.
Generating Alternating Current

Basic AC generator (alternator).

AC generator inducing a
voltage output.
 Generating Alternating Current
(cont’d.)

Each cycle consists of a positive and a negative alternation.

 Peak Value
• The maximum value attained by an alternating quantity during one
cycle is called its Peak value. It is also known as the maximum
value or amplitude.
Time Period: It is the duration of time required for the quantity to
complete one cycle. And is denoted by T. This is reciprocal of
frequency.

Amplitude: Mathematically, the amplitude of a sine wave is the

value of that sine wave at its peak. This is the maximum value,
positive or negative, that it can attain.
Instantaneous Value: The instantaneous value of an alternating voltage or current is the
value of voltage or current at one particular instant.

Average Value: The average value of an alternating current or voltage is the average of all
the instantaneous values during one alternation. Since the voltage increases from zero to
peak value and decreases back to zero during one alternation, the average value must be
some value between those two limits.
 Average Value
• To find an average value of a waveform
– Divide area under waveform by length of its base
• Areas above axis are positive, areas below axis
are negative.
• The average of all the instantaneous values
of an alternating voltage and currents over
one complete cycle is called Average Value.
• Average values also called dc values

14
 Average Value
• Divide the positive half cycle into (n) number
of equal parts as shown in the above figure
• Let i1, i2, i3…….. in be the mid ordinates
• The Average value of current Iav = mean of the
mid ordinates
Average Value
 Derivation of Average Value of
Current [I ] av
The average value of A.C. is the average over one complete cycle and is clearly zero,
because there are alternately equal positive and negative half cycles.
Alternating current is represented as I = I0 sin ωt
Root Mean Square Value
Derivation of RMS Value
Derivation of RMS Value
 QUIZ POLL
A sinusoidal signal has peak to peak value of 200V.
The rms value is:-
(a) 100 V
(b) 70.7 V
(c) 141.4 V
(d) 200 V
Effective Values or RMS Value

Ieff = .707Im
Veff = .707Vm

Effective value is also known as

the RMS value
1. Basic AC Resistive Circuits

A basic AC circuit consists of an

AC source, conductors, and a resistive load.
Basic AC Resistive Circuits (cont’d.)

The voltage and current are in phase in a pure resistive circuit.

The in-phase relationship of the applied voltage,
total current, and individual branch currents in a parallel AC
circuit.
 Power in AC Circuits

The relationship of power, current, and voltage in a resistive AC circuit.

QUIZ POLL

Q) In a pure resistive circuit

A. Current lags behind the voltage by 90o

B. Current leads the voltage by 90o
C. Current can lead or lag the voltage by 90o
D. Current is in phase with the voltage
Q) A 250 V (rms), 50 Hz voltage is
applied across a circuit consisting of pure
resistance of 20 ohm. Determine a) the
current flowing through the circuit b)
power. Give the expressions for voltage
and current.
2. PURELY INDUCTIVE
CIRCUITS
A 0.014 H coil with negligible resistance is connected to a 220 V (rms), 50 Hz supply.
Determine a) Inductive reactance of the coil b) current flowing through the coil. Write
down the expressions for voltage and current.

QUIZ POLL

A) 40 ohm, 10 A
B) 40 mohm, 10 mA
C) 4.4 ohm, 50 A
D) 4.4 mohm, 50 mA
3. Purely Capacitive Circuits
A 318 µF capacitor is connected to 200V, 50 Hz supply. Determine a) capacitive
reactance b) maximum current c) rms value of current. Write the expressions for
voltage and current.

QUIZ POLL
Maximum value of current is :-
A) 30 A
B) 28.28 A
C) 30 mA
D) 28.28 mA
QUIZ POLL

In pure inductive and capacitive ac circuits,

the power is

A.Very high
B.Zero
C.Equal
D.Very low
4. Series RL Circuit
QUIZ POLL

A series RL circuit has a resistance of 6 ohm and a reactance of 8

ohm. The impedance of the circuit is
A. 10 ohm
B. 14 ohm
C. 2 ohm
D. 13.43 ohm
A 120 V ac circuit contains 10 ohm resistance and 30 ohm reactance in series. What
would be the Power in the circuit?

QUIZ POLL

A) 200W
B) 144 W
C) 90 W
D) 80 W
5. Series RC Circuit
A circuit consists of 20 ohm resistance and in series with capacitance 200 µF, connected
across 50 Hz supply. The current through the circuit is 10.8 sin 314t amperes. Determine
the voltage across each component and across the circuit.

QUIZ POLL

Total Voltage
A) 250 V
B) 152.74 V
C) 121.55 V
D) 195.2 V
Reactance in Parallel Circuits
QUIZ POLL

Admittance is given by the vector sum of

A.Conductance and Susceptance

B.Resistance and Conductance
C.Resistance and Reactance
D.Susceptance and Resistance
 6. RLC CIRCUIT
A series RLC circuit is one the resistor, inductor and capacitor are connected
in series across a voltage supply. The resulting circuit is called series RLC
circuit.
A series RLC circuit containing a resistance of 12Ω, an inductance of 0.15H and a
capacitor of 100uF are connected in series across a 100V, 50Hz supply. Calculate the
total circuit impedance, the circuits current, power factor and draw the voltage phasor
diagram.

QUIZ POLL
Z is :-

A) 19.4 ohm
B) 50 ohm
C) 25.8 ohm
D) 9.8 ohm
An RLC series resonant circuit has a resistance of 5 ohm,
Inductive reactance of 50 ohm and capacitive reactance of 50
ohm at a frequency 1000 Hz. The applied voltage is 10 V.
The voltage across the resistance is

A. 10V
B. 5V
C. 1V
D. 0.1V