EE301 Lesson 13 Intro To AC and Sinusoids
EE301 Lesson 13 Intro To AC and Sinusoids
Learning Objectives
a. Compare AC and DC voltage and current sources as defined by voltage polarity, current direction and
magnitude over time
b. Define the basic sinusoidal wave equations and waveforms, and determine amplitude, peak to peak
values, phase, period, frequency, and angular velocity
c. Determine the instantaneous value of a sinusoidal waveform
d. Graph sinusoidal wave equations as a function of time and angular velocity using degrees and radians
e. Define effective / root mean squared values
f. Define phase shift and determine phase differences between same frequency waveforms
Alternating Current (AC) With the exception of short-term capacitor and inductor transients, all
voltages and currents we have seen up to this point have been “DC”—i.e., fixed in magnitude. Now we
shift our focus to “AC” voltage and current sources. AC sources (usually represented by lowercase e(t)
or i(t)) have a sinusoidal waveform. For an AC voltage, for example, the voltage polarity changes every
cycle.
On the other hand, for an AC current, the current changes direction each cycle with the source voltage.
Voltage and Current Conventions When e has a positive value, its actual polarity is the same as the
reference polarity. When i has a positive value, its actual direction is the same as the reference arrow.
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Sinusoids Since our ac waveforms (voltages and currents) are sinusoidal, we need to have a ready
familiarity with the equation for a sinusoid.
The horizontal scale, referred to as the “time scale” can represent degrees or time.
Period and Frequency The period (T) is the time taken to complete one full cycle. The frequency (f) is
the number of cycles per second. The unit of frequency is hertz (Hz). 1 Hz = 1 cycle per second. The
period and the frequency are related by the formula:
1
f (Hz)
T
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Phase Shifts Often e does not pass through zero at t = 0 sec, and we account for this by a phase shift
() . If e is shifted left (Leading), then
e = Em sin ( t + )
e = Em sin ( t - )
The angle by which the wave LEADS or LAGS the zero point can be calculated based upon the Δt
t 10 s
360 360 36
T 100 s
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Solution:
Solution:
3 Example. Suppose we have a sine wave with a frequency of 60 Hz. What angle (in degrees) does this
sine wave pass through during a time span of 10 msec?
Solution:
Solution:
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Solution:
Phase Difference We are often interested in the phase difference between two sinusoids.
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8 Example: What is the phase relationship between the voltage and current waveforms if:
Solution:
10 Example: Determine the phase angle between the voltage and the current shown below:
Solution:
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Effective (RMS) Values Effective values tell us about a waveform’s ability to do work. An
effective value is an equivalent dc value. It tells you how many volts or amps of dc that a time-varying
waveform is equal to in terms of its ability to produce average power.
Vm
Vrms 0.707Vm
2
I
I rms m 0.707 I m
2
RMS stands for root mean square as this describes the operation we perform to find the effective value.
The terms RMS and effective are synonymous.
11 Example: The 120 V dc source shown below delivers 3.6 W to the load. Determine the peak values of
the sinusoidal voltage and current ( Em and I m ) such that the ac source delivers the same power to the
load.
Solution:
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