Basic AC Circuit Theory

The purpose of this course is to introduce basic AC circuit theory. By the time the student completes this course, the following concepts will have been introduced.

• Introduction
• Periodic Waveforms
• Peak and Peak-to-Peak Amplitude of Periodic Waveforms
• RMS Amplitude of Periodic Waveforms
• Crest Factor
• Sinusoidal Waveforms
  • The sin function
  • Frequency, and Angular Frequency
  • Amplitude and Peak-to-Peak Ampliude
  • Phase and Phase Difference
  • DC Offset
• Power and Power Factor
• Linear Circuit Elements and Concepts
  • Capacitance
  • Inductance
  • Impedance
  • Resonance
  • Maximum Power Transfer to a Load
  • The Transformer
• Non-Linear Circuit Elements and Concepts
  • The Diode
    • The Half-Wave Rectifier
    • The Full-Wave Rectifier
    • The Bridge Rectifier
    • Zener Diodes
    • Diode Mixers
  • The Transistor

If you are an engineer or have at least a BS in a technical field, this could serve as a review or reference. This course is primarily for technicians or interested persons who have basic knowledge of DC electronics, so that they can function in test environments that utilize measurements of and calculations involving AC circuits. This course, however, is a prerequisite for some of the courses that require familiarity with AC circuit theory.

Completion of EE101 - Basic DC Circuit Theory is assumed for this course.