Find peak voltage across capacitor

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the peak voltage across a capacitor in a circuit connected to a 25V AC battery. The circuit includes four lightbulbs with specified power ratings and a resistance of 5.4 Ohms between points A and B. The user initially calculates the peak voltage of the battery as 35.36V but struggles to determine the voltage across the bulbs due to a lack of current information. The conversation emphasizes the need for understanding circuit analysis to solve for the capacitor's voltage.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of AC circuits and voltage calculations
  • Familiarity with Ohm's Law and power equations
  • Knowledge of capacitors and their behavior in AC circuits
  • Ability to interpret circuit diagrams and analyze components
NEXT STEPS
  • Study AC circuit analysis techniques, focusing on capacitive reactance
  • Learn how to apply Ohm's Law in AC circuits to find current
  • Research the relationship between voltage, current, and power in lightbulbs
  • Explore methods for calculating peak voltage in AC systems
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Electrical engineering students, hobbyists working with AC circuits, and anyone seeking to understand capacitor voltage calculations in practical applications.

randomdude20
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Hi everyone!

I hope you people can help me out at a problem I am stuck with:

Homework Statement



Find the peak voltage across the capacitor "C"

All variables given and an image of the circuit are:

  • http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/580/photo2fsc.jpg
  • The circuit is connected to an AC battery of 25V labeled as "U" in the diagram.
  • Lightbulbs "L1" and "L2" use 5.5 W each
  • Lightbulbs "L3" and "L4" use 2 W each
  • All bulbs will light up if they each receive 4.5V (thats exactly how the question states it)
  • Resistance across point "A" and "B" is 5.4 Ohm

2. The attempt at a solution

To be honest - I don't even know where to start this problem. The only thing which I thought to do is to calculate the peak voltage of the battery. Which is 35.36V. The next step I thought to do is to calculate the voltage across the bulbs - however I don't have any current value.

Any breadcrumbs to get me started would be great.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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Do they give you the capacitance?
 

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