THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC BAUCHI

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY
ND IIB

COURSE CODE: STP 212

COURSE TITLE: THERMODYNAMIS AND ELECTROMAGNECTIC
ASSIGNMENT
BY
KABUDEMILIJI MONDAY BAMIDELE
22/146930
QUESTION
Deduce and explain the following with respect to an R-L-C series a.c circuits: (i)
the voltage, current and impendence (ii) resonance phenomenon (iii) quality
factor

FEBRUARY, 2024
 DISCUSSION OF VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND IMPEDANCE IN RLC AC CIRCUITS,
INCLUDING THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND KEY CHARACTERISTICS:

In R-L-C Series A.C. Circuits:

An RLC series circuit consists of a resistor (R), inductor (L), and capacitor (C)
connected in series with an alternating current (AC) voltage source.
This diagram shows the physical connections of the components in the circuit. It uses
standard symbols to represent the resistor (R), inductor (L), and capacitor (C), along
with the voltage source (V) and any other elements
Voltage
 Voltage across the Resistor (VR): Always in phase with the current through the
circuit. This means its peak and zero crossings occur at the same time as the

current's.

voltage across a resistor in an RLC series circuit

 Voltage across the Inductor (VL): Leads the current by 90 degrees. This means the
voltage across the inductor reaches its peak one-quarter of a cycle before the
current.

voltage across an inductor in an RLC series circuit

 Voltage across the Capacitor (VC): Lags the current by 90 degrees. In other
words, its peak occurs one-quarter of a cycle after the current’s peak.

voltage across a capacitor in an RLC series circuit

 Total Voltage (VS): The vector sum of the individual voltages (VR, VL, and VC).
Because these voltages are out of phase, the total voltage isn't a simple
arithmetic sum. We use phasor diagrams to represent the magnitude and phase
of the total voltage.

phasor diagram for RLC series circuit voltages

Current

 The current (I) is the same throughout an RLC series circuit. This fundamental
principle means that the current flowing through the resistor, inductor, and
capacitor is always identical.

Impedance
 Impedance (Z) is the total opposition to the flow of current in an RLC AC circuit.
It's a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction (phase angle).
Impedance is calculated using the following formula:

Z = √(R² + (XL - XC)²)

Where:

o R is the resistance
o XL is the inductive reactance
o XC is the capacitive reactance
 Magnitude of Impedance:| The magnitude of the impedance determines the
overall opposition to current flow. Larger impedance means less current for a
given voltage.
 Phase Angle of Impedance (θ): The phase angle of the impedance represents the
phase difference between the total voltage (VS) and the current (I) in the circuit.
o Positive phase angle: Inductive circuit (XL > XC)
o Negative phase angle: Capacitive circuit (XL < XC)
o Zero phase angle: Resistive circuit (XL = XC) or an RLC Circuit at resonance.

Key Takeaways

 Voltage relationships in RLC series circuits are complex due to the phase shifts
introduced by inductors and capacitors.
 Current is consistent throughout the series circuit.
 Impedance is the vector combination of resistance, inductive reactance, and
capacitive reactance. It dictates the relationship between total voltage and
current.

RLC SERIES CIRCUIT: RESONANCE AND QUALITY FACTOR

I. Resonance Phenomenon

An RLC series circuit exhibits resonance at a specific frequency, impacting current,

impedance, and voltages within the circuit. Here's a breakdown:
1. Energy Exchange: An RLC circuit involves continuous energy exchange between
the inductor (storing energy in its magnetic field) and the capacitor (storing
energy in its electric field).
2. Canceling Reactance: At a particular frequency, the opposing reactive effects of
the inductor (inductive reactance, XL) and capacitor (capacitive reactance,
XC) cancel each other out.
3. Minimum Impedance: This cancellation results in the minimum impedance
(Z) for the entire circuit. Impedance acts like resistance to AC current, so a lower Z
means easier current flow.
4. Maximum Current: Due to the minimum impedance, the current (I) flowing
through the circuit reaches its maximum value at the resonant frequency.

II. Quality Factor (Q-factor)

The Q-factor quantifies the sharpness of the resonance peak in an RLC series
circuit. It essentially tells you how selective the circuit is in responding to different
frequencies. Here's the significance of Q-factor:

1. High Q-factor: A high Q-factor indicates a narrow and sharp resonance peak. This
means the circuit only allows a very specific frequency range to pass through
efficiently, effectively filtering out undesired frequencies.
2. Low Q-factor: A low Q-factor signifies a broad and less distinct resonance peak.
In this case, the circuit is less selective and allows a wider range of frequencies to
pass through with significant current flow.

Relationship between Q-factor and Resonance:

The Q-factor is related to the resonant frequency (f₀), resistance (R), inductance
(L), and capacitance (C) of the circuit:

Q = 2 * pi * f₀ * L / R = 1 / (R * sqrt(C/L))

This equation shows that a higher resistance (R) or a lower inductance (L) or
capacitance (C) will lead to a lower Q-factor, making the resonance peak less
sharp and the circuit less selective