Power dissipated in circuit when voltage/current out of phase

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the maximum power dissipated in an RLC circuit with a voltage of V(t) = 120 sin(2π60t) and a current of I(t) = 5 sin(2π60t + 25°). The phase angle Φ of 25° affects the power calculation, leading to a maximum power dissipation of 543.8 watts, derived from the formula P = V_{max}I_{max}cos(Φ). The initial calculation using rms values yielded 600 watts, but the phase difference necessitates the use of the power factor to determine the actual dissipated power.

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  • Understanding of AC circuit theory
  • Familiarity with RLC circuit components
  • Knowledge of power factor and its significance
  • Ability to apply trigonometric functions in electrical calculations
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  • Study the concept of power factor in AC circuits
  • Learn about the implications of phase angles in RLC circuits
  • Explore advanced power calculations using P = V_{max}I_{max}cos(Φ)
  • Investigate the differences between AC and DC power calculations
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Electrical engineering students, circuit designers, and anyone involved in analyzing AC circuit performance and power dissipation.

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Homework Statement



In a different RLC circuit the generator provides a voltage V(t) = 120 sin(2π60t) so that the current in the circuit is I(t) = 5 sin(2π60t +Φ). The phase angle Φ is 25° (0.436 radians). What is the maximum power dissipated in this circuit?

Homework Equations



P = IV (both rms)

The Attempt at a Solution



I simply took the max voltage and current (120 and 5) and plugged them into the rms & power equations. From that, I got the answer to be 600 watts. However, I know that the answer is going to be decreased by some factor because of the phase angle difference. Should end up being 543.8 watts but I don't know how to get to that answer.
 
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Since the question is asking for the maximum power dissipated, you don't want to use rms values. This circuit is AC because the voltage and current are sine functions of time. Power in AC is [tex]P = V_{max}I_{max}cos[/tex][tex]\theta[/tex], where [tex]cos[/tex][tex]\theta[/tex] is the power factor. The power factor tells you how much real power the circuit can dissipate, since only part of the voltage V is in the direction of I ([tex]V_{max}cos[/tex][tex]\theta[/tex]). In DC, V and I are always synchronized, so the phase angle between them is [tex]\theta[/tex] = 0 and the power factor is [tex]cos(0) = 1[/tex].
 
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