The voltage appearing across a series R-L circuit may be determined by applying __________ to the voltage-drops across the resistive and inductive components.
A) simple addition
B) basic trigonometry
C) Pythagoras's Theorem

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The voltage appearing across a series R-L circuit can be determined by applying Pythagoras's Theorem to the voltage-drops across the resistive and inductive components. This is because the voltage across the inductor lags behind the current by 90 degrees, leading to a phasor diagram that forms a right-angle triangle, with the hypotenuse representing the total voltage. Therefore, by using Pythagoras's Theorem, we can find the magnitude of the total voltage.

The Voltage Appearing Across a Series R-L Circuit May Be