Build RLC circuits and visualize phasors for voltage and current. Shows impedance, phase angle, and resonance frequency.
This tool builds a series RLC circuit from resistance, inductance, and capacitance values plus a source frequency, then draws a phasor diagram showing how voltage across each element relates to the current they share. It computes inductive and capacitive reactance, combines them into total impedance, and reports the phase angle between source voltage and current along with the circuit's resonant frequency. The detail people miss most: the phase angle's sign flips depending on whether inductive or capacitive reactance dominates, so a negative angle means current leads voltage, not lags it.
A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.
Input
Series RLC circuit: R = 50 ohm, L = 200 mH, C = 20 microfarad, source frequency f = 60 Hz
Expected output
XL = 75.4 ohm, XC = 132.6 ohm, |Z| = 76.0 ohm, phase angle = -48.9 degrees (current leads voltage), resonant frequency f0 = 79.58 Hz
At 60 Hz, XC (132.6 ohm) exceeds XL (75.4 ohm), so net reactance is capacitive and current leads voltage by arctan(57.2/50) = 48.9 degrees; resonance occurs where XL = XC, at f0 = 1/(2*pi*sqrt(LC)).
At the entered source frequency f, the tool computes inductive reactance XL = 2*pi*f*L and capacitive reactance XC = 1/(2*pi*f*C), then combines them with resistance R as a series impedance Z = R + j(XL - XC). It reports the magnitude |Z| = sqrt(R^2 + (XL - XC)^2), which is what limits current amplitude for a given source voltage.
Because current is common to every element in a series circuit, the diagram places the current phasor on the reference axis and draws voltage phasors for R, L, and C relative to it. The reported phase angle theta = arctan((XL - XC)/R) is the angle between source voltage and current: positive means voltage leads (net inductive), negative means current leads (net capacitive).
If the tool is built around a series RLC network, a parallel configuration will not compute correctly - parallel impedance combines reciprocals (1/Z = 1/R + 1/(jXL) + 1/(-jXC)) rather than summing directly, and the natural phasor reference becomes voltage instead of current. Verify the assumed topology before using it for a parallel design.
Below resonance, capacitive reactance XC exceeds inductive reactance XL, so the circuit is net capacitive and current leads voltage, giving a negative angle. Above resonance XL dominates, voltage leads current, and the angle turns positive. Exactly at resonance the two reactances cancel and the angle crosses zero.
The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.
Calculate percentages, percentage change, and what percent one number is of another with step-by-step breakdowns.
Calculate tips and split bills between multiple people with customizable tip percentages and rounding options.
Calculate monthly payments, total interest, and generate amortization schedules for loans and mortgages.
Calculate Body Mass Index from height and weight with category classification and healthy range guidance.
Calculate sale prices, savings amounts, and final costs after single or stacked percentage discounts.
Compute mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, and other descriptive statistics from a data set.