ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the characteristics and behaviour of resistors, capacitors and inductors in single phase alternating current (AC). The power developed in a direct current (DC) circuit is the product of the current and the resistance. Power dissipation in circuits and the effects of phase angle, true power, apparent power and power factor are considered in electrical engineering. In alternating current circuits people have to consider the relationship between an alternating current through a component and the alternating voltage across. Currents and voltages in the same circuit will have the same frequency and thus the phasors are used to represent them to rotate with the same angular velocity and maintain the same phase angles between them; they have zero motion relative to one another. A phasor has a length that is directly proportional to the maximum value of the alternating quantity or, because the maximum value is proportional to the root- mean- square value (r.m.s) a length proportional to it.