FALL2020 : CNET219

Lab #2 CNET219
Name: _______________________ Date: _________________

Capacitive Reactance(in RC Circuits )

Objectives
Educational
• Learn to measure capacitive reactance.

• Learn to measure phase angles between voltages.

• Learn to draw impedance and voltage phasor diagrams for resistors and capacitors in series.

• Understand how impedance and voltage phasors add (i.e., like vectors).

• Learn to simulate AC series circuit in OPTISPICE.

Experimental
• Determine the reactance of a capacitor in a series RC circuit by measuring voltages.

● Measure the effects of frequency upon an RC circuit

Introduction
Linear system elements — resistors, capacitors, and inductors — are the backbone of electrical and
electronic system. These three types of elements respond to electrical voltages in different ways,
variously consuming, storing, or supplying electrical energy. Understanding these behaviors and
learning to calculate the result of combining elements is critical for designing and working with
electric circuits. While a resistor consumes electrical energy, converting it to heat, capacitors and
inductors vary their responses according to the frequency of the voltage or current applied to them.
This laboratory will explore those responses for series-connected capacitors
Capacitive Reactance

Reactance is a characteristic exhibited by capacitors and inductors in circuits with time-varying

(2.1)
where f is the frequency of the applied voltage or current and C is the capacitance in farads. As with
resistance, reactance obeys Ohm’s law:

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(2.2)

If a sinusoidal voltage is applied across a resistor, the current through the resistor is in phase
with the voltage. That is not true for a capacitor. If we connect a capacitor across a sinusoidal
voltage, the maximum current flows through the capacitor when the voltage’s rate of change is
maximum (i.e., at V=0), and diminishes as the voltage on the capacitor increases, until finally the
current is zero when the voltage is at maximum and its derivative is zero. At that instant, the
maximum possible charge for the applied voltage is stored in the capacitor, and so the flow of charge
(i.e., the current) stops. The current and the voltage have exactly the same frequency, but the current
through the capacitor is leading the voltage by cycle — 90◦ or π/2 radians. Figure 2.1 illustrates this
relationship.

Figure 2.1: Resistive, Inductive, and Capacitive Loads

Phasors

When a sinusoidal voltage at frequency f drives a circuit that contains only linear elements, the
waveforms throughout the circuit are also sinusoidal and at the same frequency. To understand the
relationships among the sinusoidal voltages, currents, and impedances, we represent the various
waveforms as two-dimensional vectors called phasors. A phasor is a complex number used to
represent a sinusoidal wave, taking into account both its amplitude and phase angle. As a complex
number, a phasor has “real” and “imaginary” components, but like any two-dimensional vector, it can
be drawn simply on ordinary XY axes, with the “real” axis in the usual X direction and the
“imaginary” axis in the usual Y direction. Such phasor drawings are very helpful in analyzing circuits
and understanding the relationships of the various voltages and currents. The algebra of complex

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numbers can then be used to perform arithmetic operations on the sinusoidal waves. Make no
mistake: adding voltages or currents in an AC circuit without taking account of phase angles will lead
to confusing and wrong results.
A series RC circuit is illustrated in Figure 2.2(a) and a phasor diagram of its impedances is shown
in Figure 2.2(b). The vector for resistance R is shown along the Real (X) axis, while the reactance XC
is shown in the negative Imaginary (Y) axis, since its voltage trails its current by 90 ◦. The vector sum
of R and XC is labeled Z and has magnitude 5kΩ. Therefore, the magnitude of the current through the
circuit is VS / Z = 1.0 mA.
Notice that the current phasor is in the same as the direction of the voltage across the resistor,
because voltage and current are in phase for a resistor. The current is the same throughout the series
circuit, including the capacitor, and the voltage across the capacitor trails the current by 90◦. The
source voltage is the vector sum of the voltages across the resistor and the capacitor, as is illustrated
in the phasor diagram, Figure 2.2(c).

Figure 2.2: Phasor Diagram

M M

R1
R = 10k Ohm
C = 10n F

+
Vsin1
C1

-
Vs = 5 V
FREQ = 500 Hz

Figure 2.3

Procedure:
• Built the Series RC Circuits of figure 2.3
• Setup the signal generator to 5 Vp, at 500 hertz.
• Measure and record the voltages across C and R in table 1 for each frequency.

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• Using the measured value calculate the current Ir and Ic (use VR ÷R or Vc/Xc) for each
frequency in table 1. Remember, the current is the same throughout the circuit, so this current
also flows through the capacitor.
• Calculate Xc= 1/2𝜋𝑓𝑐 and record the value for each frequency point in table 1.
• Calculate circuit impedance Z, using the formula, for each frequency point and record the values
in table 1. ZTotal by applying Ohm’s law to the circuit (Z = Vs∠0 / I∠φ)
• Measure the phase angle φ between Vc and VS by using the cursors on the oscilloscope
/waveform viewer display
• Position the time cursors on corresponding zero crossings (or peaks) of the Vc and Vs
waveforms. Determine the time difference Δt between the waves. Indicate which waveform
arrives at the reference point first
• The phase shift, θ, is related to the time shift, Δt, that you observe on the oscilloscope/waveform
viewer. T is the period of the waveform. the waveform.
θ = Δt × 360° = Δt × f × 360°
T

Figure 2.4
Calculation example for Phase angle:
From Figure 2.4 information window: Δt = 129 msec.
θ = Δt × 360° = Δt × f × 360°
T =0.129 x 10-3 x 500 x360 = 21.20

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Lab2 WorkSheet

• Record the measured phase value on the data sheet, Complete the table with your
measured values

Table 1:
(𝑓 =Hz) VR peak VC peak XC (𝛺) IC = Z(𝛺) 𝜃∘
VC/XC Vs/Ic

500

1000

2000

4000

8000

1. Draw impedance and voltage phasors (as in Figure 2.2) for frequency f = 1000 Hz.

2. The phasor diagrams at various frequencies show how the impedances, and therefore the
voltages, change with frequency. To better see the net effect on the circuit, graph V C1 and VR
versus frequency for the values in Table 1. Label the curves. ( using OptiSpice waveform
viewer)

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Probing Further Questions

Q.2. What is the signal’s frequency if it has measured period of 1ms?

Q.3. What is the signal’s frequency if it has measured period of 50ns?

Q4 Does a capacitive circuit produce a positive or negative phase shift

Q5. What is the phase angle of two 3.33 kHz sinusoidal wave form having a separation of 60µs ?

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FALL2020 : CNET219

Lab Report

Your Name __________________________ Student ID ________________________

Lab # :____________________________

Course Name__________________

Prof. Name : ____________________________

Section______________________

Due Date____________________

Date of Submission_____________

Include your:

• circuit simulation Diagram

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