How Is Current Derived in a Series RC Circuit with an AC Source?

In summary: I have seen many for DC sources simply using KVL is it the same for AC?In summary, the current in a series RC circuit with an AC source can be determined using the KVL equation.
  • #1
canicon25
25
0
can anyone show me the derivation of an expression for current in a series RC circuit with an AC source? I have seen many for DC sources simply using KVL is it the same for AC?

I would imagine that a two part solution is required: 1) homogeneous solution 2)using undetermined coefficients as the source is equal to 50cos(100t)

Is the derivation the same as for a DC source?
 
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  • #2
canicon25 said:
can anyone show me the derivation of an expression for current in a series RC circuit with an AC source? I have seen many for DC sources simply using KVL is it the same for AC?

I would imagine that a two part solution is required: 1) homogeneous solution 2)using undetermined coefficients as the source is equal to 50cos(100t)

Is the derivation the same as for a DC source?

Welcome to the PF. Are you familiar with the relationship between current and voltage for a capacitor? That is where the DiffEq aspect of the circuit comes in. Write the KVL equation for the loop, using the simple V=IR for the resistive drop, and the differential for the voltage drop across the capacitor. Then solve the DiffEq...
 
  • #3
i am familiar. i have seen a lot of examples for DC ccts, but not AC. following your suggestions i would make this:

E=VR+VC
E=iR+q/C

E=dq/dt R + q*1/C

or

d/dt E= di/dt R + I/C

where E=50cos(100t).

would i solve the first order homogeneous ( could probably just separate) first then add on the solution from undetermined coefficients?

on a second note the initial condition i have is q(0)=0 but the question wants an expression for loop current. can i solve for q(t) then divide through by C and then divide through by Z=R-jX?
 
  • #4
canicon25 said:
i am familiar. i have seen a lot of examples for DC ccts, but not AC. following your suggestions i would make this:

E=VR+VC
E=iR+q/C

E=dq/dt R + q*1/C

or

d/dt E= di/dt R + I/C

where E=50cos(100t).

That's not quite the equation I meant. For a capacitor, the following equation expresses the relationship between voltage and current:

[tex]i(t) = C \frac{dV(t)}{dt}[/tex]

Try re-writing the KVL with that for the capacitor current and voltage...
 
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  • #5
d/dt E= di/dt R + 1/C int[ i(t) dt ] ?
 
  • #6
canicon25 said:
d/dt E= di/dt R + 1/C int[ i(t) dt ] ?

Almost, but you mixed a couple steps together...

It looks like you wrote the correct equation for the voltages in the series circuit, and then went to differentiate to get rid of the integral term on the right. But you only show the differentiation of the left hand side (LHS) and the first term on the RHS, but you haven't differentiated the integral yet to get your final DiffEq...
 
  • #7
i'm confused why i want to replace a current expression with voltage? integrating the expression you gave me will produce an expression for capacitor current i believe.
 
  • #8
canicon25 said:
i'm confused why i want to replace a current expression with voltage? integrating the expression you gave me will produce an expression for capacitor current i believe.

(keep in mind that I could be wrong, but...) Do you see why I think your equation is not correct yet? Why did you differentiate the LHS term and the first RHS term, but not the 2nd RHS term?

And as for solving for current in a series RC circuit, I thought that's what you were asking to do?

canicon25 said:
can anyone show me the derivation of an expression for current in a series RC circuit with an AC source?
 

FAQ: How Is Current Derived in a Series RC Circuit with an AC Source?

What is an RC circuit?

An RC circuit is a type of electrical circuit that consists of a resistor (R) and a capacitor (C) connected in series or parallel. It is used to control the flow of electricity in a circuit and can perform various functions such as filtering, timing, and signal processing.

How does an RC circuit work?

In an RC circuit, the resistor and capacitor work together to control the flow of current. The resistor limits the amount of current that can flow through the circuit, while the capacitor stores and releases electrical energy. When the circuit is first connected, the capacitor charges up to the same voltage as the power source. As the capacitor charges, the current decreases until it reaches a steady state. When the circuit is disconnected, the capacitor discharges, releasing the stored energy.

What is the time constant of an RC circuit?

The time constant of an RC circuit is a measure of how quickly the capacitor charges or discharges. It is calculated by multiplying the resistance (R) and capacitance (C) values together. The unit of time constant is seconds (s).

How do I calculate the capacitance or resistance of an RC circuit?

The capacitance and resistance of an RC circuit can be calculated using the following equations:
- Capacitance (C) = Charge (Q) / Voltage (V)
- Resistance (R) = Voltage (V) / Current (I)
You can also use a multimeter to measure the capacitance and resistance of the components in the circuit.

What are some applications of RC circuits?

RC circuits have a wide range of applications in electronics, including:
- Filtering: RC circuits can be used to filter out unwanted frequencies from a signal.
- Timing: RC circuits can be used to generate precise time delays in circuits.
- Signal processing: RC circuits can be used to modify and shape electronic signals.
- Power supply smoothing: RC circuits can be used to smooth out fluctuations in power supply voltage.
- Oscillators: RC circuits can be used to generate periodic waveforms for applications like radio frequency circuits and audio oscillators.

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