Past exam of the physics 2 paper of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 10

With phasors proportional to $e^{i\omega t}$, the resistor, inductor, and capacitor have complex impedances $R$, $i\omega L$, and $1/(i\omega C)$. In a series circuit they carry the same electric current, so their voltage drops add:The real part describes Joule heating; the imaginary part changes sign between capacitive and inductive response, passing through zero at ${\omega }_0=1/\sqrt{LC}$.

The voltage divider relation for the capacitor output gives the transfer functionConsequently the relative wave amplitude isFor input $V_0\cos \omega t$, the output is $V_0|H|\cos (\omega t+\varphi )$, where the continuous phase shift isFor positive frequency and $R>0$, this phase shift goes from $0$ towards $-\pi$, passing through $-\pi /2$ at ${\omega }_0$. A one-argument arctangent without a quadrant correction would wrongly predict a positive phase shift above ${\omega }_0$. The capacitor follows a slowly varying input voltage, while its output falls as $1/({\omega }^{2}LC)$ at high frequency.

At ${\omega }_0=1/\sqrt{LC}$ the inductive and capacitive electrical reactances cancel, so the complex impedance is $R$ and the electric current amplitude is $V_0/R$. The capacitor voltage amplitude is $V_0/(R{\omega }_{0}C)$. Thus the specified quality factor isA capacitor output exceeding the input voltage is consistent with a passive electrical circuit: the inductor and capacitor voltages largely cancel in their sum. The expression assumes positive $R$; the ideal undamped limit $R=0$ has no finite steady resonant response.

Put $x=\omega /{\omega }_0$. Maximizing the output wave amplitude is equivalent to minimizingIts derivative is $D^{\prime }(x)=2x[2x^2-2+Q^{-2}]$. An interior minimum at positive frequency therefore requires $Q>1/\sqrt{2}$, and occurs atIndeed $D^{\prime \prime }(x_{\mathrm{res}})=8x_{\mathrm{res}}^2>0$, and the peak value is $|H{|}_{\max }=Q/\sqrt{1-1/(4Q^2)}$. For $0<Q\le 1/\sqrt{2}$, $D$ increases for $x>0$ and the largest output is the DC value $|H(0)|=1$. At equality the putative peak has reached zero frequency; there is no distinct nonzero-frequency resonance. This threshold concerns capacitor voltage peaking: the series RLC circuit's electric current still has its maximum at ${\omega }_0$ for every positive $R$.