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An LC circuit contains a 20 mH inductor and a 50 μF capacitor with an initial charge of 10 mC. The resistance of the circuit is negligible. Let the instant the circuit is closed be t = 0.
(a) What is the total energy stored initially? Is it conserved during LC oscillations?
(b) What is the natural frequency of the circuit?
(c) At what time is the energy stored
(i) completely electrical (i.e., stored in the capacitor)?
(ii) completely magnetic (i.e., stored in the inductor)?
(d) At what times is the total energy shared equally between the inductor and the capacitor?
(e) If a resistor is inserted in the circuit, how much energy is eventually dissipated as heat?


Given, an LC circuit.
Inductance, L = 20 mH = 20 × 10-3 H
Capacitance, C = 50 μF = 50 × 10-6 F
Initial charge, Q = 10 mC = 10 × 10-3  C 

(a) Total initial energy stored in the circuit, 

E = Q022C = 10-2 × 10-22 × 50 × 10-6J = 1 J 

This energy stored shall remain conserved in the absence of resistance. 

(b) Angular frequency,
 ω = 1LC
    = 120 × 10-3 × 50 × 10-61/2Hz = 10 3 rad s-1

   v = 1032πHz = 159 Hz.
 
(c) Let, at any instant the energy stored in the circuit is completely the electrical charge on the capacitor, 

Q = Q0 cos ωt 

then,
 
Q = Q0 cos 2πTt       where,  T = 1v = 1159s = 6.3 ms 
 Q is maximum only when, 

cos 2πTt  = ±1 = cos  = nT2 where, n = 1,2,3, .. .... (1)

Hence,
Energy stored is completely electrical at t = 0, T/2, T, 3T/2,..  and so on.

Now, let the energy stored be completely magnetic at any instant when electrical charge = 0.
i.e., q = 0. 
From equation (1) 

cos 2πTt=0 =2  or t = nT4
where, n =1,2,3,...

Thus, energy stored is completely magnetic at 

t = T4, 3T4, 5T4,  .......

(d) Energy shared between inductor and the capacitor is equal means the energy shared is half times the maximum energy of the circuit.
  Electrical energy  = Q22C = 12Q022C, which is half of the total energy. 

This implies Q=Qo2
Using equation (1) we have,
Qo2 = Qo. cos 2πT t12 = cos 2πTt 

i.e., cos (2n+1)π4 = cos 2πTt  

(2n+1)π4 = 2πTt 

t = T8(2n+1);  n= 1,2,,3,.... 
 t = T8, 3T8, 5T8, ....
During these values of t, total energy will be shared equally between the inductor and the capacitor. 

(e) Resistor damps out the LC oscillations. The whole of the initial energy 1.0 J, is eventually dissipated as heat.
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