ALTERNATING CURRENT AND

1
AC CIRCUITS
| TOPIC 1 |
AC VOLTAGE APPLIED TO A RESISTOR
Alternating current is that current whose magnitude changes
continuously with time and direction reverses periodically.
Direct current Alternating current
+ +
v
Voltage

Voltage

– –

The given circuit shows a resistor of resistance R, connected to a source

of a.c voltage.
The potential difference is given by.
V = Vm sinωt
Vm is the amplitude of the oscillating potential difference and w is the
angular frequency.
If I be the current in the circuit at instant t, then the potential difference
across R will be IR. According to Kirchhoff's loop rule,
Instantaneous emf of the source
 = Instantaneous potential difference across R.
Vm sinωt = IR
Or,
Vm
sinωt = I
R

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 I = Im sinωt
Im is known as current amplitude.
Such circuits are known as pure resistive circuits. Equation of potential
difference and current are functions of sinωt. Hence, they are in same
phase in a purely resistive circuit which means that voltage and current
attain their zero, minimum and maximum values at same times.

Vm V

Im I

0  2 t

The sum of instantaneous current values over one complete cycle is zero
and average current is zero.
Example: 1.1:
Assertion (A): When average current is zero, the average power
consumed is also zero.
Reason (R): Current varies sinusoidally and has corresponding
positive and negative value during each cycle, the
average current counts to zero. As power depends on
I, the average power consumed is also zero.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false and R is also false.
Ans. (d) A is false and R is also false.
Explanation: There is a heating effect in a given resistor by the
alternating current passed through it. The instantaneous power
dissipated in the resistor is:

Alternating Current 3
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 P = I2 R
Power depends on I2 which is always positive which is always
positive whether i is positive or negative.
2
Average power dissipated in the resistor when Im and R are
constant is given by,
2
p = Im R (sin2 ωt)
1
(sin2 ωt) =
2

–= 1 2
p
Thus, I R
2 m
Root mean square (rms) or Effective current is the value of a direct
current which produces the same heating effect in a given resistor
as is produced by the given alternating current when passed for
the same time.
1 2 Im
I= 2
l = Im =
2 2
I = 0.707 Im
1
Thus, the effective or rms value of A.C. is times its peak value.
2
In terms of I, the average power is,
– = 1 I 2 R = I2 R
P=p m
2
Similarly rms voltage or effective voltage is given by,
Vm
V= = 0.707Vm
2
From the equation, we get,
Vm Im
= R
2 2
Or, V = IR
V2
And, P=
R

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Alternating Current 5
 OBJECTIVE Type Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

[ 1 mark each ]
1. If the frequency of an A.C is made 4 times of its initial value, the
inductive reactance will be:
(a) 2 times (b) 3 times
(c) 4 times (d) Unchanged
[Delhi Gov. SQP 2022]
Ans. (c) 4 times
Explanation: Inductive reactance is given by 2πfL .
Therefore, when frequency is made 4 times, inductive reactance
also becomes 4 times.

VERY SHORT ANSWER Type Questions (VSA)

[ 1 mark each ]
2. When an AC source is connected across an inductor, show on a
graph the nature of variation of the voltage and current over a
complete cycle. [CBSE 2011]
Ans. V = V sin t
 π
I = I sin  ωt − 
 2

SHORT ANSWER Type-II Questions (SA-II)

[ 3 marks each ]
3. When An a.c. source generating a voltage e = e0 sin wt is
connected to a capacitor of capacitance C. Find the expression
for the current I flowing through it. Plot a graph of e and I
versus wt to show that the current is ahead of the voltage by
π
. [CBSE SQP 2022]
2

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Ans. Derivation
, I


0 I
I0
/2 2
0
 3/2 t

[CBSE Marking Scheme SQP 2022]

Explanation: The following figure shows an AC source, generating
a voltage e = e0 sin wt, connected to a capacitor of capacitance C.
The plates of the capacitor get charged due to the applied voltage.
As the alternating voltage is reversed in each half cycle,

The capacitor is alternately charged and discharged. If q is the

charge on the capacitor, the corresponding potential difference
q
across the plates of the capacitor is, V =
C
\ q = CV, q and V are functions of time, with V,
e = e0 sin wt.
The instantaneous current in the circuit is,
dq d
I = = ( CV )
dt dt
dV
=
dtC

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 d
= C (e0 sin wt)
dt
= wCe0 cos wt
e0  p
\ I = sin wt + 
 1   2
 
 wC 

 
= I0 sin wt + p 
 
2
e0
where, I0 = is the peak value of the current.
 1 
 
 wC 
p e = e0 æ pö
wt (rad) wt + rad) I = I0 sin çççwt + ÷÷÷
2 sin wt è 2ø
p
0 2 0 I0
p
p e0 0
2
3p
p 0 – I0
2
3p
2p – e0 0
2
p 0 I0
2p 2p + 2
The above table shows gives the values of e and I for different
values of wt and the following figure shows graphs of e and i
p
versus wt, I leads e by a phase angle of rad.
2
e0 e
I0

I
0 t
/2  3/2 2

–I0
–e0

Graphs of e and I versus wt for a Purely Capacitive AC Circuit.

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Alternating Current 9
 LCR CIRCUIT AND AC DEVICES 2

| TOPIC 1 |
AC THROUGH L-C-R

Series LCR circuit is connected to an A.C. source as shown in the figure.

V = Vm sin ωt
By applying Kirchhoff's loop rule, we get,
dI q
V = L + IR +
dt C

Phasor-diagram Solution
As resistor, inductor and capacitor are in series, instantaneous current is in
all three elements, hence the amplitude and phase is same.
I = Im sin (ωt + φ)
φ is the phase difference between voltage across the source and current in
the circuit.
I VCm
– VLm

VR
VR V
m
VR


VL t +  Vm
t

VC – V L
VC

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Here, VL is voltage across inductor, VR is voltage across resistor and VC is
voltage across capacitor.
Lengths of these phasors are,
VR = ImR, Vc = ImXC, VL = ImXL
The voltage across the circuit is,
I = VR + VL + VC
As seen in the figure, VL and VC in opposite direction,
the resultant magnitude will be,
Vc – V L
Using Pythagoras theorem, we get
V2 = VR2 + (VC – VL)2
V2 = (ImR)2 + (ImXC – Im XL)2
V2 = Im2 [R2 + (XC – XL)2]
v
Or Im =
R2 + (X C − XL )2

R2 + (X C − XL )2 is known as impedance Z.

V
Im =
Z
(X C − X L )
Angle between V and VR is, tan–1 = φ, Known as phase angle.
R
Resonance
A series L-C-R circuit is said to be in the resonance condition when the
current through it has its maximum value.

Vm Vm
Im = =
Z R 2 + (X C − XL )2

At a particular frequency XC = XL.

Then, Z = R

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 1
XC = XL or = ωoL
ω0C

1
Or, ωo =
LC

It is called resonating frequency.

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 OBJECTIVE Type Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

[ 1 mark each ]
1. If the reading of the voltmeter V1 is 40 V, then the reading of
voltmeter V2 is:
V1

V2

50 Ö2 sin wt

(a) 30 V (b) 58 V
(c) 29 V (d) 15 V [CBSE SQP 2022]
Ans. (a) 30 V [CBSE Marking Scheme SQP 2022]
Explanation:
50 2
Vmax = = 50
2
2
V2 = Vmax − V12

= 502 − 402 = 30 V

VERY SHORT ANSWER Type Questions (VSA)

[ 1 mark each ]
2. In a circuit instantaneously voltage and current are V = 150 sin
314t volt and I = 12 cos 314t ampere respectively. Is the nature
of circuit is capacitive or inductive? [Delhi Gov. QB 2022]
 π
Ans. I = 12 sin  314t + 
 2

Alternating Current 13
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 π
i.e., Current is ahead the voltage by a phase difference of 2 . Hence,
circuit is a capacitive circuit.

SHORT ANSWER Type-I Questions (SA-I)

[ 2 marks each ]
3. Mention the factor on which the resonant frequency of a
series LCR circuit depends. Plot a graph showing variation of
impedance of a series LCR circuit with the frequency of the
applied A.C. source. [CBSE 2005]
Ans. In series LCR circuit the resonant frequency depends on the value
of inductance L and capacitance C present in the circuit.

R
r

A graph showing variation of impedance Z of a series LCR circuit
with the frequency n of the applied A.C. source is shown in figure.

NUMERICAL Type Questions

4. Explain why the reactance provided by a capacitor to an
alternating current decreases with increasing frequency. (3m)
Ans. Capacitor plates get charged and discharged when an AC voltage
is applied across the plates. So the current through capacitor is
as a result of charging. Because the frequency of the capacitive
circuit increases, the polarities of the charged plates change more
rapidly with time, giving rise to a larger current.
The capacitive reactance (XC) due to a capacitor C varies as the
1
inverse of the frequency (f) (as X C = ) and hence approaches
2πf C
zero as f approaches infinity. The current is zero in a DC capacitive

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 circuit, which corresponds to zero proportional and infinite
reactance.
Caution
 Students are often confused how capacitor blocks D.C. Since Xc is inversely
proportional to frequency, capacitors tend to pass high-frequency current
and block low frequency currents and DC.

Alternating Current 15
 TOPPER’S CORNER

SHORT ANSWER Type-II Questions (SA-II)

[ 5 marks each ]
5. (A) Draw a labelled diagram of an AC generator.
Obtain the expression for the emf induced in the
rotating coil of N turns each of cross-sectional area A, in
→
the presence of a magnetic field B .
(B) A horizontal conducting rod 10 m long extending from east
to west is falling with a speed 5·0 ms–1 at right angles to
the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field,
0·3×10–4 Wb m–2. Find the instantaneous value of the emf
induced in the rod.
Ans.

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 [CBSE Topper 2017]

Alternating Current 17