To calculate the amplitude of combined alternating currents i1 and i2, the expressions are simplified to i(t) = 2.5 sin(50t) + 10.33 cos(50t). The amplitude is determined to be approximately 10.6, with the phase angle calculated using arctan(10.33/2.5), yielding about 33.8 degrees. To find the first occurrence of this amplitude, the derivative of the current function is set to zero, leading to a time value of approximately 0.00474 seconds. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding phasor addition and suggests using graphical tools for verification.