Impedance

13February 2004

Reactance and Impedance

Capacitance in AC Circuits

Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

13February 2004

Objectives
Describe capacitive ac circuits
Analyze inductive ac circuits
Describe the relationship between current and voltage in an
RC circuit
Determine impedance and phase angle in a series RC circuit
Analyze a series RC circuit
Determine the impedance and phase angle in a parallel RC
circuit
Describe the relationship between current and voltage in an RL
circuit
Determine impedance and phase angle in a series RL circuit
Analyze a series RL circuit
Determine impedance and phase angle in a parallel RL circuit
13 February 2004

Impedance

Capacitors in AC Circuits
The instantaneous capacitor current is equal to the capacitance
times the instantaneous rate of change of the voltage across the
capacitor
This rate of change is a maximum positive when the rising sine
wave crosses zero
This rate of change is a maximum negative when the falling
sine wave crosses zero
The rate of change is zero at the maximum and minimum of
the sine wave

13 February 2004

Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

Impedance

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Capacitive Reactance, XC
Capacitive reactance (XC) is the opposition to sinusoidal
current, expressed in ohms
The rate of change of voltage is directly related to frequency
As the frequency increases, the rate of change of voltage
increases, and thus current ( i ) increases
An increase in i means that there is less opposition to current
(XC is less)
XC is inversely proportional to i and to frequency
The relationship between capacitive reactance, capacitance and
frequency is:
1
XC = - j
where j = -1
2f C
XC is in ohms ()
f is in hertz (Hz)
C is in farads (F)
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Impedance

Phase Relationship Between Current and Voltage in

a Capacitor
In a capacitive circuit with a
sinusoidal voltage, the
current leads the voltage by
90 in a purely capacitive ac
circuit

13 February 2004

Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

Impedance

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Sinusoidal Response of RC Circuits

When a circuit is purely resistive, the phase angle between
applied voltage and total current is zero
When a circuit is purely capacitive, the phase angle between
applied voltage and total current is 90
When there is a combination of both resistance and
capacitance in a circuit, the phase angle between the applied
voltage and total current is somewhere between 0 and 90,
depending on relative values of resistance and capacitance

13 February 2004

Impedance

Impedance in an AC Circuit

Purely Resistive

13 February 2004

Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Purely Capacitive

Impedance

An RC Circuit

Impedance

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Analysis of Series RC Circuits

The application of Ohms law to a series RC circuits involves
the use of the quantities V, I, and Z as follows:
Z = R - j XC
V=IZ
V
I=
Z
V
Z=
I

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Impedance

Impedance Phasor Diagram for a Series RC Circuit

In the series RC circuit, the total impedance is the phasor sum
of R and -jXC
Impedance: Z = R 2 + XC 2

- XC
Phase angle: = tan -1

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

(NOTE: is negative)

10

Impedance

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Impedance in a Series RC Circuit

Rectangular
Z = 47 j100
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Polar
Z = 110 -64.8
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Variation of Z and with Frequency

In a series RC circuit; as
frequency increases:
XC decreases
Z decreases
decreases
R remains constant

13 February 2004

Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

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KVL in a Series RC Circuit

From KVL, the sum of the voltage drops must equal the applied
voltage (VS)
Since VR and VC are 90 out of phase with each other, they must
be added as phasor quantities
Magnitude of source voltage:
VS = VR 2 + VC 2
Phase angle between VR and VS: = tan -1 - VC

VR

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Voltage Phasor Diagram

VS = 18 -56.3

VS = 10 j15
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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

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Relationships of I and V in a Series RC

Circuit
In a series circuit, the current is the same through both the
resistor and the capacitor
The resistor voltage is in phase with the current, and the
capacitor voltage lags the current by 90

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Analysis of Parallel RC Circuits

The application of Ohms law to parallel RC circuits involves the use of the
quantities Z, V, and I as:

Z=

( R ) ( - j XC )

R - j XC
VS = VR = VC
IT = IR + IC
VS
Z=
IT
Note : All quantities are phasors

13 February 2004

Professor Andrew H. Andersen

Impedance

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Conductance, Susceptance and Admittance

Conductance, Susceptance, and Admittance all have the
Sieman as the unit of measurement (formerly the mho)
Remember that we are dealing with phasor quantities
1
Conductance is the reciprocal of resistance:
G=

R
Susceptance is the reciprocal of capacitive reactance: BC = 1
XC
Admittance is the reciprocal of impedance:
1
Y=
Z

NOTE: All quantities are phasors

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Relationships of the I and V in a Parallel RC

Circuit
The applied voltage, VS, appears across both the resistive and
the capacitive branches
KCL States the total current IT, divides at the node into the two
branch currents, IR and IC
Remember that the currents are phasors

I = IT

IT = IR +j IC
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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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Impedance

13February 2004

I and Z in the Parallel RC Circuit

VS
5 (0
=
R
100 ( 0
IR = 50 (0 mA = 50mA
IR =

(100) ( -j50 )
5000 ( - 90
=
100 - j50
111.8 ( - 26.56
Z = 20 - j40 = 44.72 ( - 63.43
Z=

VS
5( 0
=
Z
44.72 ( - 63.43
IT = 50 + j100 mA = 111.8 ( 63.43 mA
IT =

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VS
5 (0
=
XC
50 ( - 90
IR = 100 ( + 90 mA = j100mA
IC =

IT = IR + IC
IT = 50 + j100 mA
IT = 111.8 ( + 63.43 mA

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Kirchhoffs Current Law

In the parallel RC circuit
Current through the resistor is in phase with the voltage
Current through the capacitor leads the voltage, and thus the
resistive current by 90
Total current is the phasor sum of the two branch currents
Magnitude of IT is:

IT = IR 2 + IC 2

Phase angle:

IC
= tan -1

IR

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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10

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Current Phasor Diagram

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Find Z

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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11

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Inductance in AC Circuits

Inductive Reactance
Inductive reactance is the opposition to sinusoidal
current, expressed in ohms
The inductor offers opposition to current, and that
opposition varies directly with frequency
The formula for inductive reactance, XL, is:
XL = j 2 f L
The analysis of the RL circuit is the same for the RC
except that the all the signs of the imaginary
quantities are the opposite

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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Phase Relationship Between I and V in an Inductor

The current lags inductor
voltage by 90
The curves below are for a
purely inductive circuit

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Z in the Series RL Circuit

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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Series RL Phasor Diagrams

Impedance

Voltage

Z = R + jXL

VS = VR + jVL

Z = R 2 + XL2

VS = VR 2 + VL2

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Series RL Circuit

ZT = 11500 60.8

ZT = 5600 + j 10000
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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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Relationship Between I and V in Series RL

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Parallel RL Circuit

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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Parallel RL Circuit

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Professor Andrew H. Andersen

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