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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 3

302: Principles of electrical science

Handout 3: Capacitance in an ac circuit
Learning outcome
The learner will:
2. Understand how different electrical properties can affect electrical circuits, systems and
equipment.
Assessment criteria
The learner can:
2.1 explain the relationship between resistance, inductance, capacitance and impedance
currents.
2.2 determine electrical quantities in alternating current circuits
Range
Electrical quantities: resistance, inductance, inductive reactance, capacitance, capacitive
reactance, impedance.

Capacitance in an ac circuit
A capacitor is a device for storing an electric
charge, the amount of change stored on the plates
is directly proportional to the voltage applied,
i.e. Q = V.C
Where:
𝐐 = 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐬
𝐕 = 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐬
𝐂 = 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐬
When a capacitor is connected across an
ac supply, the capacitor will alternatively
charge and discharge with opposite
polarity. Thus, although no current actually
passes through the capacitor, an
alternating current exists in the circuit,
because there is a movement of electrons,
which can be measured with a suitable
ammeter.
An electric current must flow either into or
out of the capacitor to maintain the charge
at its correct value.
When an alternating PD is applied to the
capacitor the charge increases with the
increasing PD. The current is at a
maximum when the voltage and charge
are at a minimum.
This is because a large current is required
to cause a charge and when the capacitor
is fully charged, no current is required.

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 3

It can be seen from the diagram above that the current is at its maximum value when the voltage
and charge are at their greatest rate of change. Hence the current wave leads the voltage wave by
90°.

Since the capacitor is assumed to have an infinite resistance (as we understand it in dc), then
there can be no current flow, but this is not so as the diagrams show. There is therefore, some
property which allows current to flow and yet limits its value.
This property is called the CAPACITIVE REACTANCE (symbol XC) and it can be shown that:

𝐗 𝐂 = 𝐕⁄𝐈
𝟏
𝐗𝐂 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
𝐗𝐂 =
𝛚𝐂
Where: XC = reactance of the capacitor in ohms
V = voltage across the capacitor
I = resulting current flow
f = supply frequency in Hz
L = coil inductance in Farads
ω = 2πf

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 3

The formula shows that the capacitive reactance XC depends not only on the value of capacitance
but on the frequency as well. If the frequency is increased, then XC will decrease, and if the
frequency decreases then XC will increase. It can therefore be seen that the frequency has an
inverse effect on the capacitive reactance.
The graph represents a
15μF capacitor on a
230 volt ac supply

It will also be noted that when f = 0 the capacitive reactance will be at its maximum (infinity) and
thus there will be no current flowing. I = V / R, then R = infinity.
If the frequency is increased the charge will have less time in which to flow into the capacitor
(because there are more changes per second) and therefore the rate of flow of current must
increase to keep the charge constant in the capacitor.

𝐐 = 𝐕 × 𝐂 (𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬)
𝐐 = 𝐈 × 𝐭 (𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬)

It follows that the current flowing through a capacitor is proportional to:

a) Size of the capacitor in microfarads (F)
b) The voltage applied to the capacitor (VC)
c) The frequency (f).

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 3

The energy stored in a capacitor is calculated by the formula:

𝟏
𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐐 = 𝟐. 𝐂. 𝐕 𝟐 (𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬)

EXAMPLE
Calculate the capacitive reactance and current that will flow, to each of the following capacitors,
when connected to a 230 volt supply at:
a) 50Hz
b) 200Hz
for the following capacitors:
(i) 2F
(ii) 8F
(iii) 16F
a) At 50Hz
𝟏
i) 𝑿𝑪 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
=
𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟓𝟎 × 𝟐 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
= 𝟏𝟓𝟗𝟐𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐂
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟏𝟓𝟗𝟐
= 𝟎. 𝟏𝟒𝐀
𝟏
ii) 𝑿𝑪 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
=
𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟓𝟎 × 𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
= 𝟑𝟗𝟖𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐂
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟑𝟗𝟖
= 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖𝐀

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 3

𝟏
iii) 𝑿𝑪 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
=
𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟓𝟎 × 𝟏𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
= 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐂
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟏𝟗𝟗
= 𝟏. 𝟏𝟔𝐀
b) At 200Hz
𝟏
i) 𝑿𝑪 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
=
𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟐𝟎𝟎 × 𝟐 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
= 𝟑𝟗𝟖𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐂
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟑𝟗𝟖
= 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖𝐀
𝟏
ii) 𝑿𝑪 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
=
𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟐𝟎𝟎 × 𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
= 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐂
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟏𝟎𝟎
= 𝟐. 𝟑𝐀

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 3

𝟏
iii) 𝑿𝑪 =
𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐂
𝟏
=
𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟐𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
= 𝟓𝟎𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐂
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟓𝟎
= 𝟒. 𝟔𝐀
It can be seen from the above examples that the capacitive reactance decreases proportionally
with an increase in frequency and capacitance, but the current increases proportionally with both.
A capacitor consumes no power at all; it is a wattless component. Since it is basically an open
circuit, ie infinite resistance, then no current will flow, and therefore:

𝐏 = 𝐈 𝟐 𝐑 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐏 = 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬

If we use the simple expression for power as we have previously done (V × I), then we can see
that any power drawn from the supply during part of the cycle, is given back during the next part of
the cycle.

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