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Ch 32: AC Circuits
Knight Calc - Physics for Scientists and Engineers 5th Edition
Knight Calc5th EditionPhysics for Scientists and EngineersISBN: 9780137344796Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 32, Problem 63b

Commercial electricity is generated and transmitted as three-phase electricity. Instead of a single emf, three separate wires carry currents for the emfs ε1 = ε0 cos ωt, ε2 = ε0 cos(ωt +120°), and ε3 = ε0 cos(ωt−120°) over three parallel wires, each of which supplies one-third of the power. This is why the long-distance transmission lines you see in the countryside have three wires. Suppose the transmission lines into a city supply a total of 450 MW of electric power, a realistic value. In fact, transformers are used to step the transmission-line voltage up to 500 kV rms. What is the current in each wire?

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Step 1: Understand the problem. The total power supplied by the transmission lines is 450 MW, and the voltage is stepped up to 500 kV rms using transformers. The goal is to calculate the current in each wire. Since this is three-phase electricity, the power is distributed equally among the three wires.
Step 2: Recall the formula for power in a three-phase system: P = √3 × V × I × cos(ϕ), where P is the total power, V is the rms voltage, I is the rms current, and cos(ϕ) is the power factor. Assume the power factor is 1 (ideal case) unless stated otherwise.
Step 3: Rearrange the formula to solve for the current I. Using MathML, the formula becomes: I=P3×V. Substitute the given values: P = 450 MW = 450 × 10⁶ W and V = 500 kV = 500 × 10³ V.
Step 4: Divide the total power equally among the three wires. Since the power is distributed equally, the power per wire is P_wire = P_total / 3. Using MathML: Pwire=P3. Substitute P_total = 450 × 10⁶ W.
Step 5: Calculate the current in each wire using the formula derived in Step 3, but with P_wire instead of P_total. Using MathML: I=PwireV. Substitute the values for P_wire and V to find the current in each wire.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Three-Phase Electricity

Three-phase electricity is a method of alternating current (AC) power generation and transmission that uses three separate conductors, each carrying an alternating current that is phase-shifted by 120 degrees. This configuration allows for a more efficient and stable power supply, as it provides a constant power transfer and reduces the amount of conductor material needed compared to single-phase systems.
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Power Calculation in AC Circuits

In AC circuits, the total power (P) can be calculated using the formula P = √3 × V × I × cos(φ), where V is the line-to-line voltage, I is the current, and cos(φ) is the power factor. For three-phase systems, this formula accounts for the contributions of all three phases, allowing for the determination of the current in each wire when the total power and voltage are known.
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Transformers and Voltage Step-Up

Transformers are electrical devices that transfer electrical energy between two or more circuits through electromagnetic induction. They can step up (increase) or step down (decrease) voltage levels. In this context, a transformer steps up the transmission-line voltage to 500 kV rms, which is essential for efficient long-distance power transmission, as higher voltages reduce current and minimize energy losses due to resistance in the wires.
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The tuning circuit in an FM radio receiver is a series RLC circuit with a 0.200 μH inductor. FM radio stations are assigned frequencies every 0.2 MHz, but two nearby stations cannot use adjacent frequencies. What is the maximum resistance the tuning circuit can have if the peak current at a frequency of 103.9 MHz, the closest frequency that can be used by a nearby station, is to be no more than 0.10% of the peak current at 104.3 MHz? The radio is still tuned to 104.3 MHz, and you can assume the two stations have equal strength.

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Textbook Question

A generator consists of a 12-cm by 16-cm rectangular loop with 500 turns of wire spinning at 60 Hz in a 25 mT uniform magnetic field. The generator output is connected to a series RC circuit consisting of a 120 Ω resistor and a 35 μF capacitor. What is the average power delivered to the circuit?

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Textbook Question

Commercial electricity is generated and transmitted as three-phase electricity. Instead of a single emf ε = ε0 cos ωt, three separate wires carry currents for the emfs ε1 = ε0 cos ωt, ε2 = ε0 cos(ωt+120°), and ε3 = ε0 cos(ωt−120°). This is why the long-distance transmission lines you see in the countryside have three parallel wires, as do many distribution lines within a city. Show that the potential difference between any two of the phases has the rms value 3–√ εrms, where εrms is the familiar single-phase rms voltage. Evaluate this potential difference for εrms = 120 V. Some high-power home appliances, especially electric clothes dryers and hot-water heaters, are designed to operate between two of the phases rather than between one phase and neutral. Heavy-duty industrial motors are designed to operate from all three phases, but full three-phase power is rare in residential or office use.

111
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Textbook Question

Commercial electricity is generated and transmitted as three-phase electricity. Instead of a single emf, three separate wires carry currents for the emfs ε1 = ε0 cos ωt, ε2 = ε0 cos(ωt +120°), and ε3 = ε0 cos(ωt−120°) over three parallel wires, each of which supplies one-third of the power. This is why the long-distance transmission lines you see in the countryside have three wires. Suppose the transmission lines into a city supply a total of 450 MW of electric power, a realistic value. What would be the rms current in each wire if the transmission voltage were ε0 = 120 V rms?

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Textbook Question

You're the operator of a 15,000 V rms, 60 Hz electrical substation. When you get to work one day, you see that the station is delivering 6.0 MW of power with a power factor of 0.90. What is the rms current leaving the station?

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