A technician builds an RLC series circuit which includes an AC source that operates at a fixed frequency and voltage. At the operating frequency, the resistance R is equal to the inductive reactance XL. The technician notices that when the plate separation of the parallel-plate capacitor is reduced to one-half its original value, the current in the circuit doubles. Determine the initial capacitive reactance in terms of the resistance R.

Xc = (0.467 - 0.427j)R

Explanation:

Since the resistance in the circuit is R, the reactance of the inductor is XL and the reactance of the capacitor is XC, then the impedance of the circuit is

Z = √[R² + (XL - XC)²]

Since the inductive reactance XL equals the resistance R, we have that

Z = √[R² + (XL - XC)²]

Z = √[R² + (R - XC)²]

Thus, the current in the circuit is thus I = V/Z = V/√[R² + (R - XC)²]

Now, when the plate separation of the parallel plate capacitor is reduced to one-half its original value, the current doubles. Also, when the plate separation is reduced to half, the capacitance doubles since C ∝ 1/d where C is capacitance and d separation between the plates. Since the capacitance doubles, the new reactance XC' is twice the initial reactance XC. So, XC' = 2XC. Thus the new impedance is thus

Z' = √[R² + (R - XC')²]

Z' = √[R² + (R - 2XC)²]

The new current is I' = V/Z' = V/√[R² + (R - 2XC)²]

Since the current doubles, I' = 2I.

V/√[R² + (R - 2XC)²] = 2V/√[R² + (R - XC)²]

1/√[R² + (R - 2XC)²] = 2/√[R² + (R - XC)²]

√[R² + (R - XC)²] = 2√[R² + (R - 2XC)²]

squaring both sides, we have

[R² + (R - XC)²] = 4[R² + (R - 2XC)²]

expanding the brackets, we have

[R² + R² - 2RXC + XC²] = 4[R² + R² - 4RXC + 4XC²]

[2R² - 2RXC + XC²] = 4[2R² - 4RXC + 4XC²]

2R² - 2RXC + XC² = 8R² - 16RXC + 16XC²

collecting like terms, we have

16RXC - 2RXC + XC² - 16XC² = 8R² - 2R²

14RXC - 15XC² = 6R²

15XC² - 14RXC + 6R² = 0

Using the quadratic formula to find XC, we have

Since it is capacitive, we take the negative part.

So, Xc = (0.467 - 0.427j)R

e/c, where e is its total energy