INSTA LEARN

PHYSICS

CLASS 12
ALTERNATING
CURRENT
 Root mean square value (rms)
ALTERNATING CURRENT value of AC
• How to measure the alternating voltage or
Alternating current alternating current when it’s value Changes
from one instant to the next.

• Alternating current An electric current whose • What about the average value of alternating
magnitude changes with time and direction voltage and current?
reverses periodically is known as alternating • Alternating current is positive during one half
current cycle and negative during the other half cy-
cle. Therefore the average value of AC over
one complete cycle is zero.
• An ordinary moving coil galvanometer can-
not be used to measure AC due the same
reason. During one half cycle the pointer
move in one direction and in next half cycle
deflect in opposite direction, since the alter-
nation of current occurs in rapid pace even
at low frequency. The pointer will appear to
be stationary in the zero position.

Heating effect of electric current is

• Alternating voltage is represented by the re-
lation taken for this purpose
V=V0 sin ωt
• Two identical resistors each of resistance RΩ
are arranged. One is connected to DC sup-
ply and the other to a AC supply. Adjust the
• V is the instantaneous value of alternating
AC supply so that both the resistors generate
voltage
equal amount of heat XJ in one minute.
• V0 is the peak value or maximum value of al-
ternating voltage.
• ω is the Angular frequency
• Alternating current is represented by the re-
lation

I=In sin ωt

The rms value of AC current is the equivalent

• I is the instantaneous value of alternating DC current that would produce heat at the
current same rate
• I0 is the peak value or maximum value of al-
ternating current
The rms value of AC voltage is the equiva-
• ω is the Angular frequency lent DC voltage that would produce heat at
the same rate

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Relation between rms value and Phasor diagram
Peak value of AC • A diagram representing alternating current
or voltage as vectors with the phase angle
between them is called a phasor diagram

• Phasor diagram is the vectorial represen-

tation of a graph (sinusoidal graph). It con-
sist of a rotating vector which rotates in an-
ti-clockwise direction.
An alternating current is given by the rela-
tion I=141.4sin 314+ Find
• Peak value of current
• Value of DC current which produces the
same amount of heat in the resistor AC voltage applied to a Resistor
• frequency
• A pure resistor of resistance R is connected
• Time period
to a source of AC
• The instantaneous value of current when
t=3 milliseconds

• From the equation 1 and 2 it is clear that the

circuit voltage and current are in phase in a
purely resistive circuit.
• This means that both the voltage and current
attain their zero, positive peak and negative
peak at the same respective time instants.

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 AC applied to an inductor
• A pure inductor of inductance L connected to
a source of AC

• The circuit current lags behind the voltage

by an angle π/2 in a purely inductive circuit.

230 V,50 Hz AC is applied to a resistor. The in-

stantaneous value of voltage is represented
as

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Inductive reactance AC voltage applied to a capacitor
• The effective opposition offered by the in- • A capacitor of capacitance C connected to
ductor to the flow of alternating current a source of AC
through it is called the inductive reactance
• Inductive reactance limits the current, in the
same way as the resistance limits the cur-
rent in a purely resistive circuit
• Inductive reactance is directly proportional
to the frequency of the applied voltage.

An in ductor
a) Allows AC to pass blocks DC
b) Allow DC to pass and oppose AC
c) Allow both AC and DC to pass
d) Block DC and AC

A 44mH inductor is connected to 220 V 50 Hz

AC supply. Determine the rms value of the cur-
rent in the circuit.

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 • The circuit current leads the source voltage
by π/2 in a purely capacitive circuit
A 60μF capacitor is connected to a 110 V,
60 Hz AC supply. Determine the rms value of
the current in the circuit.

• Capacitive reactance is inversely propor-

tional to the frequency of the applied voltage

AC voltage applied to a series LCR

circuit
• Let an alternating volatile is applied to a se-
ries LCR circuit. Since the circuit elements are
connected in series, AC current in each ele-
ment is same at any time having same am-
plitude and phase.

A capacitor • Let VL, VC, VR and V represents the voltage

across the inductor, capacitor, resistor and
a) Allows easy path to AC pass and block DC
the source.
b) Allow DC to pass and oppose AC
c) Allow both AC and DC to pass • We want to determine the instantaneous
current and its phase relationship with the
d) Block DC and AC
applied voltage

Phasor diagram solution

• Alternating value of instantaneous voltage
and current is
The voltage across the resistor is in phase
with the current. The peak value of voltage
across the resistor is
The voltage across the inductor leads the
current by π/2. The peak value of voltage
across the inductor is given by,

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 The voltage across the capacitor lags be-
hind the current by π/2. The peak value of
current is given by
• VL and Vc are in same line and in opposite di-
rection. They can be combined in to a single
phasor (VL + VC) which has a magnitude of
|VC - VL|.

Phase angle Is ∅ given by

• Impedance is the effective opposition offered

to the current in a series LCR circuit.

Power in an AC circuit
• The rate at which electrical energy is con-
sumed in an electric circuit is called its pow-
er.
• In DC circuit power is given by the product
of voltage and current. But in AC circuit both
voltage and current vary simultaneously
with time. So the average power consumed
is taken.

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Power in a series LCR circuit From the impedance triangle

Wattless current
• In a purely inductive and capacitive circuit
• The second term which is time-dependent. Its
• That means no power is dissipated even
average is zero (the positive half of the cosine
though a current is flowing in the circuit.
cancels the negative half). Therefore,
Such a current is called wattless current

Power factor Transformers

• The average power dissipated in a LCR cir-
• A transformer is a device which is used to
cuit is given by
change the alternating voltage from one to
• The product of virtual voltage and virtual another
current is called the Apparent power.
• It works on the principle of mutual induction
True power = Apparent power × Powerful factor • A transformer which converts low voltage to
high voltage is called step up transformer
(True power)
Power factor = • One which converts high voltage to low volt-
(Apparent power)
age is called step down transformer

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CONSTRUCTION Energy loss in transformers
FLUX LEAKAGE
• The magnetic flux produced in the primary
may not fully pass through the secondary
due to poor design of the core This loss can
be minimised by winding the primary and
the secondary coils one over the another

COPPER LOSS
• The energy loss in the form of heat in the
copper coils used in the primary and sec-
ondary are called copper loss.
• It consists of two set of coils called primary • This can be minimised by using thick copper
coil and secondary coil wound over a lami- wires.
nated soft iron core.
• The AC voltage to be altered is fed to the pri-
mary coil.
• Then the alternating magnitic flex setup in
the core
• The core extents to the secondary windings, EDDY CURRENT LOSS
this change in flux produces an induced EMF • The alternating magnetic flux produces
in the secondary. eddy current in the iron core which leads to
waste of energy in the form of heat
• Here we consider an ideal transformer in
which the coils have zero resistance and • Can be reduced by using laminated core
there is no leakage of magnetic flux
HYSTERICS LOSS
• Np and Ns are the number of turns in the pri-
mary and secondary coil. • As the alternating current passes through
the windings, the iron core undergoes re-
-dφ peated magnetisation and demagnetisa-
Induced EMF in the primary = Np ( ) tion. As a result some energy is wasted in
dt
the form of heat, called hysteresis loss.
-dφ
Induced EMF in the secondary = NS ( ) • Can be reduced by using materials of low
dt hysteresis loss

Efficiency Resonance
• In a series LCR circuit, the current amplitude
is given by
• When Lω=1/Cω, the circuit impedance Z
will be minimum and is equal to R. Then the
amplitude of current will be maximum. This
phenomenon is called resonance in LCR cir-
cuit.

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Resonance
When Lω=1/Cω the net reactance is zero,
the circuit behaves as a purely resistive
circuit
The circuit current will be phase with the
voltage
At resonance the value of power factor is 1
• The maximum power dissipated in the cir-
cuit is
• The frequency at which the current ampli-
tude in a series LCR circuit attains its maxi-
mum value or the frequency at which reso-
nance happens in a LCR circuit is called the
resonance frequency

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