Lesson 9.

LC Circuits in AC and DC

General Physics 1/2

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
We know that a pendulum is an
example of an oscillating object.

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Do you know that we can use our
knowledge about oscillating objects
to describe phenomena in
electricity?

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 In this lesson, we will discuss a type of circuit which is
analogous to an oscillating object. We will also investigate
how its energy storage properties permit the flow of electric
current, and demonstrate another electromagnetic proof of
the Conservation of Energy.

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How do circuits vary in terms of
electromagnetic inductance?

5
 Learning Competencies
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Compare and contrast alternating current

(AC) and direct current (DC) (STEM-
GP12EMIVa-6).

● Use analogies with the spring-mass

system to draw conclusions about the
properties of LC circuits (STEM-
GP12EMIVa-7). 6
 Learning Competencies
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Characterize the properties (stored

energy and time-dependence of charges,
currents, and voltages) of an LC circuit
(STEM-GP12EMIVa-8).

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 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Define inductance.

● Differentiate alternating and direct current.

● Explain the process of electrical oscillation in an LC

circuit.

● Determine the energy storage and time-

dependence properties of the variables in an LC
circuit.
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 Electromagnetic Induction

● Electromagnetic induction refers to the process in

which the electromotive force (emf) and current are
induced as a result of changing magnetic flux.

● Circuits vary in terms of their efficiency to induce the

ideal amount of emf and current such that energy is
minimally lost in the process.

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 Inductance

● Inductance refers to an electrical conductor’s

capacity to oppose a change in current that passes
through it.

● In a circuit, the component responsible for this

process is called an inductor. It is usually
represented by the symbol:

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 Inductance

● Usually, inductors can be found in circuits as coils

of wires, wire helix, or solenoid, such as what is
shown below:

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Mutual Inductance

Mutual inductance is the term for placing two

circuits near each other such that the change in
electric current in the first will result in a drop or
loss of voltage in the second.

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 Mutual Inductance

● Here, a change in electric current in the first coil

induced an electromotive force in the second.

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Remember
The symbol for inductance is the capital
letter L, in honor of the Russian
physicist Emil Lenz, who formulated
Lenz’s Law. Its SI unit is the henry (H),
named so after the American scientist
Joseph Henry, who discovered the
phenomenon of inductance while
conducting experiments on
electromagnetism. 14
 Mutual Inductance

Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC)

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 Mutual Inductance

Direct Current (DC) and

Alternating Current (AC)
● In a DC circuit, electric
current flows in directly in
one direction.

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 Mutual Inductance

Direct Current (DC) and

Alternating Current (AC)
● In an AC circuit, current
switches directions, at
times alternating forward
and backward and
reversing its direction
across the circuit.

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How do alternating and direct
currents differ?

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 LC Circuits

● In a closed circuit, inductors store electrical energy

in the form of magnetic energy, or the energy
present in a magnetic field.
● A capacitor enables the storage of energy in the
form of an electric field.
● Capacitors and inductors complement each other,
such that a circuit that consists of both inductive and
capacitive components is called a tuned circuit.
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 LC Circuits

● A simplified LC circuit is shown below:

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 Energy Storage in Capacitors and Inductors

● An LC circuit is made up of a
coil that serves as the
inductor and two conducting
plates that serve as the
capacitor in a DC circuit.

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 Energy Storage in Capacitors and Inductors

● The capacitor becomes

charged with electrical
energy when connected to
the solenoid.

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Remember

In an LC circuit, an inductor stores

energy in the magnetic field based on
the electric current that flows through it.
Conversely, a capacitor stores energy in
the electric field generated between its
conducting plates based on the
potential difference across this
separation distance.
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Remember
The movement of current in an LC
circuit is referred to as electrical
oscillation, the process of which
resembles the mechanical oscillation
observable in a vibrating spring-mass
system, as shown below:

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What is an LC circuit?

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 Analogy of LC circuit to Spring-Mass Systems

● The movement of current and charge in an LC circuit

follows a frequency pattern that may be likened to a
spring-mass system.

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 Analogy of LC circuit to Spring-Mass Systems

● Recall that energy is distributed between the kinetic

energy of the vibrating mass and the spring’s potential
energy.

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 Analogy of LC circuit to Spring-Mass Systems

● The Conservation of Energy will tell us that the

system’s total energy will remain the same, despite the
varying values of the kinetic and potential energies
throughout the points of the vibration. Thus:

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 Analogy of LC circuit to Spring-Mass Systems
Spring-Mass System and LC Circuit Analogy

Spring-Mass System Variables LC Circuit Counterparts

the object’s mass m the inductor’s inductance L

the spring’s velocity v the circuit’s current I

the reciprocal of the capacitance

the spring constant k
1/C

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 Analogy of LC circuit to Spring-Mass Systems
Spring-Mass System and LC Circuit Analogy

Spring-Mass System Variables LC Circuit Counterparts

displacement from equilibrium

charge q
position x

maximum displacement from

maximum charge on capacitor Q
equilibrium position X

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 Analogy of LC circuit to Spring-Mass Systems

● The analogies will allow us to derive the relations

for (1) the energy stored in the inductor’s
magnetic field and (2) the energy stored in the
capacitor’s electric field:

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How does an LC circuit resemble
a vibrating spring-mass system?

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 Time-Dependence in LC Circuits

Inductance in a DC Circuit
● In a DC circuit, inductance and
resistance are directly
proportional.
● The voltage remains constant.
These relationships are visualized
in the graph.

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 Time-Dependence in LC Circuits

Inductance in an AC Circuit
● An alternating-current (AC) circuit
is similar to the DC circuit, except
that it changes its polarity over
time, as shown.

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Remember

In an AC circuit, the frequency refers to

the number of cycles or the rate of the
current change per second. It is
measured in hertz (Hz).

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 Electrical Impedance

● Because of the constant variations in the change of

polarity at any given frequency, the storage and
release of electrical energy within the inductor will also
correlate with this frequency at a given point in time,
which results in the opposition of electric current.

● The measure of this opposition or resistance in an AC

circuit is also known as electrical impedance.

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What is electrical impedance?

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 Check Your Understanding

Identify what is being referred to in each of the

following statements.
1. ___________________ refers to an electrical conductor’s
capacity to oppose a change in current that passes
through it.
2. Inductors store electrical energy in the form of
___________________ energy.
3. The SI unit for inductance is ___________________.

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 Check Your Understanding

Identify what is being referred to in each of the

following statements.
4. AC and DC circuits vary in terms of the
___________________ of electron flow.
5. The ___________________ of current and charge in an
LC circuit resembles a vibrating mass-spring system.
6. The schematic symbol for inductance is
___________________.

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 Check Your Understanding

Identify what is being referred to in each of the

following statements.
7. A circuit that contains both inductive and capacitive components
is also called a/n ___________________.
8. A capacitor enables the storage of energy in the form of an
___________________.
9. ___________________ is the term for the juxtaposition of two
circuits such that the change in electric current in the first will result
in a drop or loss of voltage in the second.
10. The symbol for inductance is ___________________.
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 Aspect DC Circuit AC Circuit
Check Your Understanding
Electron Flow 1. _________________________ 2. _________________________
Compare and/or contrast direct and alternating
currents based on each aspect provided in the table
below.
Current Direction 3. _________________________ 4. _________________________

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 Check Your Understanding

Compare and/or contrast direct and alternating

currents based on each aspect provided in the table
below.
Aspect DC Circuit AC Circuit

Development of 7. _________________________ 8. _________________________

Current with Time

Inductance 9. _________________________ 10. ________________________

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 Check Your Understanding

PERFORMANCE TASK #3
Answer the questions below in two or three sentences.
1. Explain why inductive and capacitive components “complement” each
other in an LC circuit.
2. How does the Conservation of Energy take place in an LC circuit?
3. Explain how an LC circuit resembles a vibrating spring-mass system.
4. Explain why we can also treat inductance in a DC circuit as Ohm’s
Law’s resistance.
5. How do resistance and impedance relate to each other in an AC
circuit?
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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Inductance refers to an electrical conductor’s

capacity to oppose a change in current that
passes through it. In a circuit, the component
responsible for this process is called an inductor
and is commonly a coil, a wire helix, or a solenoid.

44
 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Mutual inductance is the term for the

juxtaposition of two circuits such that the change
in electric current in the first will result in a drop
or loss of voltage in the second.

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● The symbol for inductance is the capital letter L.

Its SI unit is the henry (H), which is equivalent to
one kilogram meter squared per second squared
per ampere squared.

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● In a DC circuit, electric current flows only in one

direction. On the contrary, current switches
directions in an AC circuit, at times alternating
forward and backward and reversing its direction
across the circuit.

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● In an LC circuit, an inductor stores energy in the

magnetic field based on the electric current that
flows through it. Conversely, a capacitor stores
energy in the electric field generated between
its conducting plates based on the potential
difference across this separation distance.

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● The electrical oscillation of stored energy in an

LC circuit resembles a oscillating mass-spring
system.
● The opposition reaction of the inductor to the
current in a DC circuit is exponential. An
alternating-current (AC) circuit is similar to the DC
circuit, except that it changes its polarity over
time.
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Challenge Yourself

Explain why inductive and capacitive

components “complement” each
other in an LC circuit.

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Bibliography
Faughn, Jerry S. and Raymond A. Serway. Serway’s College Physics (7th ed). Singapore: Brooks/Cole,
2006.

Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics Principles with Applications (7th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2014.

Halliday, David, Robert Resnick and Kenneth Krane. Fundamentals of Physics (5th ed). USA: Wiley, 2002.

Knight, Randall D. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach (4th ed). USA: Pearson
Education, 2017.

Serway, Raymond A. and John W. Jewett, Jr. Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics (9th
ed). USA: Brooks/Cole, 2014.

Walker, James S. Physics (5th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2017.

Young, Hugh D., Roger A. Freedman, and A. Lewis Ford. Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with
Modern Physics (13th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2012.
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