Lecture Notes - Chapter 5

(These Lecture Notes are for courses using the book the Complete Electronics Self-Teaching Guide with Projects. Instructors of courses using that text are permitted to use these Lecture Notes as-is or adapt them for their use).

Fundamentals of AC Circuits

• The Generator
  •   Discuss the sine wave (figure 5.1).
  • Introduce the term; function generator.
• Introduce the terms; V_rms, V_pp, and V_p (figure 5.3). 
  • Discuss the equations for V_rms, V_pp, and V_p.
• Introduce the terms; cycle, and period (figure 5.4).
• Resistors in AC Circuits
  • Discuss the use of Ohm's law with AC signals.
    • If voltage is given in rms, then calculated current is in rms, and vs. versa.
    • If voltage is given in peak-to-peak, then calculated current is in peak-to-peak, and vs. versa.
  • Review the use of the voltage divider equation with AC signals (figure5.5).
• Capacitors in AC Circuits
  • Introduce the term; reactance.
    • Introduce the equation for the reactance of a capacitor (X_C).
    • The unit of measurement for reactance is ohms (Ω).
  • Discuss the voltage divider circuit consisting of a resistor and a capacitor (figure 5.6).
• Using the Oscilloscope
  • Review the parameters that an oscilloscope can measure
  • Discuss the control panel settings
  • Review how to measure the period of a waveform.
    • Show the equation to determine frequency from the period.
  • Discuss the use of two channels to capture waveforms at two locations in a circuit.
    • Discuss how to measure the amplitude of a waveform.
    • Introduce the term phase shift.
• The Inductor in an AC Circuit
  • Introduce the term; inductor.
  • Review the equation for the reactance of an inductor (X_L).
• Resonance
  • Introduce the term; resonance frequency.
    • For a circuit containing both a capacitor and an inductor in series the resonance frequency is the frequency at which X_C = X_L.
  • Discuss the equation to calculate the resonance frequency.
  • Introduce filters and oscillators as circuits for which calculation of the resonance frequency is necessary.

This page includes material extracted, by permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, from Complete Electronics Self-Teaching Guide with Projects, ISBN: 9781118217320.

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