Day 26 AC Circuits

In our very last lab together, we go over the importance of AC circuits and the LRC (induction, resistance, and capacitor) circuit within an AC (Alternating Current) system. It is to note that we did not cover through a lot of labs in this section, due to time constrictions, and therefore the amount of pictures shown are limited

We went through the class first learning about phase angles, and how the current and the voltage, while in an AC circuit, should not be in phase which each other. The phase angle is when the peak voltages are either ahead or lagging the current.
It is to note that in for the following circuits, the following angles are true
Pure resistance: 0 degree angle
Pure capacitor: 90 degree angle
Pure inductor: -90 degree angle
A RL circuit: phase angle can be found between 0 and  90 degree
A RC circuit: phase angle can be found between -90 and  0 degree
A LRC circuit: Greater than 0 if XL > XC, less than 0 if XC > XL, and 0 when in resonance

An example problem dealing with RLC circuit

This example problem is probably the first time we have combined a resistor, a capacitor and an inductor into one, finding the resonance frequency, the current, and the power dissipated

Third portion of the lab

We had a lab that demonstrated series RC circuits (unfortunately, my phone has deleted most of this lab, so all I have is the third portion), in which we were to set up an RC circuit in an AC system to see if anything changed between DC and AC
The graph shown on this picture was an error caused by have the voltmeters collecting the voltages at both the resistors and the current at the same time, when it was proven that it would not work, creating what looks like a system that should be in phase when it is not in actuality.

Demonstration of transformers

One of Prof Mason's last demonstration was of transformers, which is essentially two largely coiled wires connected to a U-shaped magnet. We find out that these transformers are actually used everyday in power lines
By knowing that the power within the two inductors are the same, we can then find the change in currents, by looking at the ratio of the amount of turns in the wiring, and the initial current.