CBSE Class-12 Physics Quick Revision Notes

Chapter-07: Alternating Current

Alternating Current:
The current whose magnitude changes with time and direction reverses periodically is
called alternating current. a) Alternating emf E and current I at any time am given by:
E = E0 sin t
Where

E0 = NBA
I = I 0 sin(t )

Where I 0 =

NBA
R

2
T
Where T is the time period.
Values of Alternating Current and Voltage
a) Instantaneous value:
It is the value of alternating current and voltage at an instant t.
b) Peak value:
Maximum values of voltage E0 and current I0 in a cycle are called peak values.
c) Mean value:
For complete cycle,

= 2n =

< E >=

1
Edt = 0
T 0
T

1
< I >= Idt = 0
T 0
2 E0

d) Root mean- square (rms) value:

E
Erms = (< E 2 >)1/2 = 0 = 0.707 E0 = 70.7% E0
2
I
I rms = (< I 2 >)1/2 = 0 = 0.707 I 0 = 70.7% I 0
2
RMS values are also called apparent or effective values.
Phase difference Between the EMF (Voltage) and the Current in an AC Circuit
a) For pure resistance:
The voltage and the current are in same phase i.e. phase difference = 0
Mean value for half cycle: Emean =

b) For pure inductance:

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The voltage is ahead of current by

i.e. phase difference = +

c) For pure capacitance:

The voltage lags behind the current by

i.e. phase difference =

Reactance:
Reactance
a)
E E0 Erms
X=
=
=
/ 2
I
I0
I rms
b)

Inductive reactance

X L = L=2nL
Capacitive reactance
c)
1
1
XC =
=
C 2nC
Impedance:
Impedance is defined as,
Z=

E E0 Erms
=
=

I
I0
I rms

Where is the phase difference of the voltage E relative to the current I.

a) For L R series circuit:

Z RL = R 2 + X L2 = R 2 + L2
L
1 L
tan =
or = tan

R
R
b) For R C series circuit:
1
Z RC = R 2 + X C2 = R 2 +

C
tan =

1
1
Or = tan 1

CR
CR

c) For L C series circuit:

Z LCR = R 2 + ( X L X C ) 2
1

= R 2 + L
C

L
L

C
C
tan =
Or = tan 1
R
R

Conductance:
Reciprocal of resistance is called conductance.

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1
mho
R
Power in and AC Circuit:
a) Electric power = (current in circuit) x (voltage in circuit)
P = IE
b) Instantaneous power:
Pinst = Einst x Iinst
c) Average power:
1
Pav = E0 I 0 cos = Erms I rms cos
2
d) Virtual power (apparent power):
1
= E0 I 0 = Erms I rms
2
Power Factor:
a) Power factor
P
R
cos = av =
Pv Z
G=

b) For pure inductance

Power factor, cos=1
c) For pure capacitance
Power factor, cos=0
d) For LCR circuit
R

Power factor, cos=

R + L
C

X = L
C

Wattless Current:

The component of current differing in phase by

relative to the voltage, is called

wattles current.
The rms value of wattless current:
I
= 0 sin
2
= I rms sin =

I0 X

2Z

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Choke Coil:
a) An inductive coil used for controlling alternating current whose self- inductance is
high and resistance in negligible, is called choke coil.
b) The power factor of this coil is approximately zero.
Series Resonant Circuit
a) When the inductive reactance (XL) becomes equal to the capacitive reactance (XC) in
the circuit, the total impedance becomes purely resistive (Z=R).
b) In this state, the voltage and current are in same phase ( = 0), the current and
power are maximum and impedance is minimum. This state is called resonance.
c) At resonance,
1
r L =
r C

Hence, resonance frequency is,

1
fr =
2 LC
d) In resonance, the power factor of the circuit is one.
Half Power Frequencies:
Those frequencies f1 and f2 at which the power is half of the maximum power (power at
resonance), i.e., f1 and f2 are called half power frequencies.
1
P = Pmax
2
I
I = max
2
P
P = max
2
Band Width:
a) The frequency interval between half power frequencies is called band width.
Bandwidth f = f 2 f1
b) For a series LCR resonant circuit,
1 R
f =
2 L
Quality Factor (Q):
Maximum energy stored
Q = 2
Energy dissipated per cycle
2 Maximum energy stored
=

T
Mean power dissipated
Or
L
fr
f
1
Q= r =
=
= r
r CR ( f 2 f1 ) f
R
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