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Quiz on AC Circuit Theory
December 1970 Popular Electronics

December 1970 Popular Electronics

December 1970 Popular Electronics Cover - RF CafeTable of Contents

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Here is a fairly simple quiz on AC circuit analysis that appeared in the December 1970 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. If you are not already comfortable with adding series and parallel circuits containing resistors, capacitors, and inductors, you will appreciate the simple formula presented that will keep the sweat level down ;-) . An even simpler form that solves explicitly for the four variables are as follows:

VTotal = √ [(VL - VC)2 + VR2]

VR = √ [(VT)2 - (VL - VC)2]

VL = VC + √ [VT2 - VR2]

VC = VL - √ [VT2 - VR2]

      OK, pick up your pencils and begin ... now.

Quiz on AC Circuit Theory

AC Circuit Theory Quiz, December 1970 Popular Electronics - RF CafeBy Robert P. Balin

Voltage measurements made in a series ac circuit seldom add up as simply as they do in a dc circuit. You may even find the voltage across a coil or capacitor to be greater than the supply voltage! Nevertheless, Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Law do apply, and careful measurements will show that the supply voltage and the various voltage drops around a series ac circuit are related in an unusual way: the square of the supply voltage is equal to the square of the difference between the voltage on the coil and the voltage on the capacitor, plus the square of the voltage on the resistor.

This relationship, VTotal2 = (VL - VC)2 + VR2,can be used to find any unknown voltage if all others are known.

In parallel ac circuits, the currents add up the same way as voltages do in a series ac circuit. Brush up on your ac theory and see if you can solve the missing voltage or current in the circuits below. Where necessary, the voltages and currents are related by the 3:4:5 ratio to provide easy, whole number answers. Only simple algebra is required. Vectors, phasors, and quadratic equations are not necessary to find the solutions.

 

(See answers below)

 

Quizzes from vintage electronics magazines such as Popular Electronics, Electronics-World, QST, and Radio News were published over the years - some really simple and others not so simple. Robert P. Balin created most of the quizzes for Popular Electronics. This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.

RF Cafe Quizzes Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circuit Quiz Answers

1. (10)2= (8)2 + (VR)2; VR = 6V

2. (20)2= (7+VC)2+ (12)2; VC = 9V

3. (24)2= (VL-6)2; VL = 30V

4. (15)2= (350-350)2+ (VR)2; VR = 15V

5. (VT)2= (15-3)2+ (16)2; VT = 20V

6. (50)2= (VL)2+ (12)2= (VC)2+ (12)2; VL = VC

    (VT)2= (VL-VC)2+ (12)2; VT = 12V

7. (IT)2= (6)2+ (8)2; IT = 10 mA.

8. (20)2= (16-IC)2+ (16)2; IC = 4 mA.

9. (IT)2= (17-13)2+ (3)2; IT = 5 mA.

10. (9)2= (40-4-IC)2; IC = 7 mA.

 

 

Posted May 1, 2023
(updated from original post on 6/21/2013)
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RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling 2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps while tying up your telephone line, and a nice lady's voice announced "You've Got Mail" when a new message arrived...

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