AC Week 4 Lecture Solutions

Slide 18

What capacitance connected in series with a 500- resistor limits the current drawn from a 48mV RMS
465kHz source to 20 A RMS? In order to calculate correctly, the phase angle of the source voltage
must be -78˚.

For a series circuit, we will set the current to 0˚. The total voltage will have the same phase angle as the
total impedance.

Find the total impedance of the circuit:

𝑉𝑇 = 𝐼𝑇 𝑍𝑇

𝑉𝑇
𝑍𝑇 =
𝐼𝑇

(48𝑚𝑉∠ − 78˚)
𝑍𝑇 =
(20µ𝐴∠0˚)

𝑍𝑇 = 2.4𝑘Ω∠ − 78˚

Find the impedance of the capacitor:

𝑍𝑇 = 𝑍𝑅 + 𝑍𝐶

𝑍𝐶 = 𝑍𝑇 − 𝑍𝑅

𝑍𝐶 = (2.4𝑘Ω∠ − 78˚) − (500Ω∠0˚)

𝑍𝐶 = 2.35𝑘Ω∠ − 90˚ = (0 − 𝑗2.35𝑘)Ω

The capacitive reactance is 2.35kΩ

Find the capacitance:

1
𝑋𝐶 =
2𝜋𝑓𝐶

1
𝐶=
2𝜋𝑓𝑋𝐶

1
𝐶=
2𝜋(465𝑘)(2350)

𝐶 = 145.6𝑝𝐹
Another solution is to convert the total impedance into rectangular form and recognize that the reactive
component must come from the capacitor:

𝑍𝑇 = 2.4𝑘Ω∠ − 78˚ = (499 − 𝑗2.35𝑘)Ω

The real component should be 500Ω, but it is off a little because of rounding. The reactive component is
2.35kΩ and must be capacitive because the sign is negative. This reactance can now be used to find the
capacitance.

This question can be solved without giving the phase angle. With the original information we can use the
voltage phasor diagram to find the phase angle:

Find the voltage across the resistor:

𝑉𝑅 = 𝐼𝑅 𝑍𝑅

𝑉𝑅 = (20µ𝐴∠0˚)(500Ω∠0˚)

𝑉𝑅 = 10𝑚𝑉∠0˚

Draw the voltage phasor diagram (voltages are in mV):

The phase angle can be obtained since

𝑉𝑟
cos 𝜑 =
𝑉𝑇

𝑉𝑟
𝜑 = cos −1
𝑉𝑇

10𝑚
𝜑 = cos −1
48𝑚

𝜑 = −77.975˚

The phase angle must be negative because the total voltage vector is below the axis.

The phase angle can then be used to solve the circuit as above.
Slide 25

Find the total current in the following circuit: Source voltage is 200V 20kHz, L = 1.5mH, R = 100 ohms, C =
80nF

In a parallel circuit, we will set the total voltage to zero degrees.

Find the reactance of the inductor:

𝑋𝐿 = 2𝜋𝑓𝐿

𝑋𝐿 = 2𝜋(20𝑘)(1.5𝑚)

𝑋𝐿 = 188.5Ω

Find the reactance of the capacitor:

1
𝑋𝐶 =
2𝜋𝑓𝐶

1
𝑋𝐶 =
2𝜋(20𝑘)(80𝑛)

𝑋𝐶 = 99.47Ω

Find the impedance of the resistor:

𝑍𝑅 = 100Ω∠0˚

Find the impedance of the inductor:

𝑍𝐿 = 188.5Ω∠90˚

Find the impedance of the capacitor:

𝑍𝐶 = 99.47Ω∠ − 90˚

Find the total impedance by adding the impedances in parallel:

𝑍𝑇 = (𝑍𝑅−1 + 𝑍𝐿−1 + 𝑍𝐶−1 )−1

𝑍𝑇 = (100Ω∠0˚−1 + 188.5Ω∠90˚−1 + 99.47Ω∠ − 90˚−1 )−1

𝑍𝑇 = 90.3Ω∠ − 25.4˚
Find total current using total impedance and total voltage:

𝑉𝑇 = 𝐼𝑇 𝑍𝑇

𝑉𝑇
𝐼𝑇 =
𝑍𝑇

200∠0
𝐼𝑇 =
90.3∠ − 25.4

𝐼𝑇 = 2.2𝐴∠25.4˚

We can also find the current through each component.

Find the current through the resistor:

𝑉𝑅
𝐼𝑅 =
𝑍𝑅

200∠0
𝐼𝑅 =
100∠0

𝐼𝑅 = 2𝐴∠0˚

Find the current through the inductor:

𝑉𝐿
𝐼𝐿 =
𝑍𝐿

200∠0
𝐼𝐿 =
188.5∠90

𝐼𝐿 = 1.06𝐴∠ − 90˚

Find the current through the capacitor:

𝑉𝐶
𝐼𝐶 =
𝑍𝐶

200∠0
𝐼𝐶 =
99.47∠ − 90

𝐼𝐶 = 2.01𝐴∠90˚