Sinusoids and Phasors

Alternating voltages and currents

Voltages of ac sources alternate in polarity and vary in magnitude
Voltages produce currents that vary in magnitude and alternate in
direction

The sinusoidal waveform (sine wave) is the fundamental

alternating current (ac) and alternating voltage waveform.

Electrical sine waves are

named from the
mathematical function
with the same shape.
 Alternating voltages and currents
AC Voltage and Current conventions
Assign a reference polarity for source
When voltage has a positive value
Its polarity is same as reference polarity
When voltage is negative
Its polarity is opposite that of the reference polarity
Assign a reference direction for current that leaves source at
positive reference polarity
When current has a positive value
Its actual direction is same as current reference arrow
When current is negative
Its actual direction is opposite that of current reference
arrow
Sinusoids to represent AC voltages and currents
A sinusoid is a signal that has the form of the sine or
cosine function.
Consider the sinusoidal voltage.

Above equation used to compute voltages and currents at any instant of

time.
Voltage and current as function of time is referred to as instantaneous
voltage or current
 Sinusoids
as a function of t Sinusoids repeat itself
every T seconds.

T is called the period of

sinusoids.

as a function of t
 Sinusoids

The frequency f of the sinusoids

 Sinusoids

Consider a more general expression for the sinusoids.

Phase (in radian or degrees)

 Sinusoids

Let us consider two sinusoids.

 AC values
Amplitude of sine wave (Vm) - distance from its average to its peak
Peak to peak (Vpp)- measured between minimum and maximum points.
Peak value (Vp) of an ac voltage or current Maximum value with respect to zero
Average value also called DC value. Average value of a sine wave over a
complete cycle is zero Average over a half cycle is not zero.
Root Mean Square (VRMS) is the equivalent value of dc voltage to do the same
work

The effective value (RMS) of a periodic current is the dc current that

delivers the same average power to a resistor as the periodic current
Sinusoids
 Im
Phasors
A phasor is a complex number that represents
the amplitude and phase of a sinusoid.
R
Sinusoids are easily expressed in terms of
phasors, which are more convenient to work
with.

Relationship between polar and rectangular form:

 Phasors
n general;

Real part imaginary part

Time-domain represantaion

Phasor-domain represantaion

V(t) is time dependent while V is not

V(t) is always real while V is generally complex
 Phasors

Sinusoid-Phasor Transformations

Time-domain represantaion Phasor-domain represantaion

Phasor relation for circuit elements
Resistor

Time domain Phasor form (frequency domain)

Voltage and current in phase

 Phasor relation for circuit elements
Inductor

For current through inductor

current lags voltage by 90

 Phasor relation for circuit elements
Capicitor

For voltage across capacitor

current leads voltage by 90

Phasor relation for circuit elements
Summary
 Phasor relation for circuit elements
Impedance and admittance

Voltage-current relations may be written in terms of the ratio of the phasor voltage to the
phasor current as

we obtain Ohms law in phasor form for any type of element as

where Z is a frequency-dependent quantity known as impedance, measured in ohms.

The impedance Z of a circuit is the ratio of the phasor voltage V to

the phasor current I, measured in ohms ().
Phasor relation for circuit elements
Impedances and admittances of passive elements
 Phasor relation for circuit elements
Complex impedance

As a complex quantity, the impedance may be expressed in rectangular form as

The impedance is inductive when X is positive or capacitive when X is negative.

is said to be inductive or lagging since current lags voltage

is said to be capacitive or leading since current leads voltage

Impedance may be also expressed as

where

and
 RC Circuit
Example: Find v(t) and i(t) in the circuit
Solution:
RC Circuit

Voltage across capacitor

Converting I and V into rectangular form