Extra Class Reference Sheet - Tutorial

Overview

The Extra Class Reference sheet is a condensed summary of information needed for answering the Extra Class
math questions. This tutorial will add background related to the definition of letters and how the formulas are
used. Once this is understood, the short form Reference Sheet should be all you need.

Conventions

• Letters with subscripts (like “𝑋𝐶 ") usually represent a unit plus additional information. In this case, X is
the symbol for reactance, and 𝑋𝐶 indicates we are specifically referring to Capacitive Reactance.
• An asterisk is commonly used to signify multiplication. This would be the same as the multiplication key
on a calculator. Example: 𝑅𝐶 means R times C, which could be written R*C.
• In this tutorial, calculator keystrokes will be shown with brackets. [5] means “press the number 5.”
• Standard algebraic notation assumes letters in sequence are variables multiplied together. For
example, 2𝜋𝑓𝐿 means 2 ∗ 𝜋 ∗ 𝑓 ∗ 𝐿.
• All unit values in the formulas are in “base” units. For example, the base unit for Inductance is the
Henry. Since tiny fractions of a Henry are normally used in electronics, we use scientific notation to
enter these small values of Inductance for “L” in the 2𝜋𝑓𝐿 formula. For example, for a value of 253 µH,
we need to enter the value into the formula in Henries (the base unit). This would be 253 ∗ 10−6
Henries.

Notes on Calculator Modes

• Mode settings are required to get the specific results we teach in the course.
• We recommend three changes to default mode settings to support this course: ENG display, 2 Decimal
Places, and Polar display (for complex numbers). See below for setting and confirming these settings.
• View the current mode settings: Press the [mode] key. Current settings will be highlighted.
• To set a mode value: Press the [mode] key. Use the navigator diamond to place a blinking cursor over
the mode to be set. Set that mode value by pressing the [enter] key. After setting a mode, additional
modes may be set by highlighting the next desired mode and pressing [enter] again. Press [clear] to
exit the mode menu.
• Check to see that you have set the desired mode values by pressing the [mode] key. Press [clear] to
exit.
• Mode menu values:

Line # Default value (after Recommended setting

a calculator reset)
1 DEG DEG (default)
2 NORM ENG (displays scientific notation in multiples of 3)
3 FLOAT 2 (display two decimal places)
4 REAL 𝒓∠𝜽 (sets complex number display to Polar)
5 DEC DEC (default)
6 MATHPRINT MATHPRINT (default)

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Alphabet Soup (for formulas on the Extra Class Reference Sheet)

Identifier Definition Base Unit Typical Values, Notes

C Capacitance Farads pF, µF
E Voltage Volts µV, mV, V, KV
f Frequency Hertz kHz, MHz, GHz
𝑓𝑟 Frequency of resonance Hertz kHz, MHz, GHz
∆𝑓 Resonant Circuit Half- Hertz kHz
power Bandwidth
I Current Amperes or Amps µA, mA, A
L Inductance Henrys mH, µH
P Watts Watt µW, mW, W, KW
PF Power factor None Between 0 and 1
VA Apparent Power VA Used in AC circuits where
part of the load may be
reactive
𝑃𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐿 Real Power (for AC Watts Power used to do real
circuits) work, such as generate
heat
Q Quality factor of tuned None
circuit
R Resistance Ohms Ohms, Kilohms,
Megohms
𝑇𝐶 Time constant (=R*C) Seconds Seconds
𝑋𝐶 Capacitive Reactance Ohms Ohms, Kilohms,
“Negative” Megohms
𝑋𝐿 Inductive Reactance Ohms Ohms, Kilohms,
“Positive” Megohms
B Susceptance: inverse of Siemens Need to know definition
Reactance (X) and that phase angle
reverses (see below); no
exam calculations
Z Impedance Ohms Ohms, Kilohms,
Megohms
Y Admittance: inverse of Siemens Need to know definition;
Impedance (Z) no exam calculations

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Radio Units

Prefix Symbol Power X 10x Value Examples

giga G 9 Gigahertz
mega M 6 Megahertz, Megohms, Megawatts
kilo k 3 Kilohertz, Kilohms, Kilowatts, Kilovolts
(unit) 0
milli m -3 Millivolts, Milliamps, Milliwatts, Millihenries
micro µ -6 Microvolts, Microamps, Microhenries, Microfarads
nano n -9 Nanofarads
pico p -12 Picofarads

• Radio units are important because exam questions specify units such as pF (pico Farads) or MHz (Mega Hertz).
To get the right answer to a problem, you must be able to recognize that 65 pF would be entered on a calculator
as [6] [5] [EE] [(-)] [1] [2]. In this example, it is important to note that [(-)] is the gray Negation key to the left of
the [enter] key, and not the silver subtraction key [-] to the right of the [9] key.
• Another way to say this is that you need to know the powers of ten for radio units. 65 pf is 65 ∗ 10−12 Farads.
• Megahertz example for 3.5 MHz: this is 3.5 ∗ 106 Hertz and is entered on the calculator as [3] [.] [5] [EE] [6].

Time Constants

𝑇𝐶 = 𝑅𝐶
• Interpretation: Time Constant (in Seconds) = Resistance (in ohms) * Capacitance (in Farads)
• One exam question requires this calculation: E5B04. The circuit described simplifies to a 440 microfarad
capacitor in parallel with a 500 kilohm resistor. To solve for the Time Constant (in Seconds), the calculator key
stokes for R*C are: [5] [0] [0] [EE] [3] [X] [4] [4] [0] [EE] [(-)] [6] [enter]. Answer = 220 Seconds.

1Tc = 63.2% charging or 36.8% discharging

• Interpretation: For charging, one Time Constant (Tc) is defined as the amount of time, in seconds, it takes to
charge a capacitor to 63.2% of the applied voltage in a series circuit consisting of a resistor and capacitor, or
to discharge to 36.8% when the applied voltage is replaced by a wire.
• One exam question requires knowing this as a fact: E5B01
• There are no Time Constant calculations required on the exam

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Capacitive Reactance
1
𝑋𝐶 = “Negative”
2𝜋𝑓𝐶

• Interpretation: Capacitive Reactance (in Ohms) = 1 divided by 2 * 𝜋 *frequency (in Hertz) * Capacitance (in
Farads)
• See the separate key stroke guide for Capacitive Reactance for an example of working this kind of problem.
• Two exam questions require this calculation: E5C10, E5C12
• The word “Negative” on the Reference Sheet is a reminder that Capacitive Reactance is always shown with a
negative value for the imaginary part (rectangular form) or a negative phase angle (polar form) when expressed
as a complex number. Examples: 3-j4, or 5∠ − 53°

Inductive Reactance

𝑋𝐿 = 2𝜋𝑓𝐿 “Positive”
• Interpretation: Inductive Reactance (in Ohms) = 2 * 𝜋 *frequency (in Hertz) * Inductance (in Henrys)
• See the separate key stroke guide for Inductive Reactance for an example of working this kind of problem.
• One exam question requires this calculation: E5C11
• The word “Positive” on the Reference Sheet is a reminder that Inductive Reactance is always shown with a
positive value for the imaginary part (rectangular form) or a positive phase angle (polar form) when expressed as
a complex number. Examples: 3+j4, or 5∠53°

Power Factor – calculating Real power

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐿 (𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠) = 𝑃𝐴𝑃𝑃𝐴𝑅𝐸𝑁𝑇 (𝑉𝐴) ∗ 𝑃𝐹

• Interpretation: Real Power (in watts) = the Apparent Power (in VA or Volts * Amps) times a Power Factor (PF)
• In DC circuits, Volts * Amps gives power directly in watts. This is NOT usually true in AC circuits because the
voltage and current will be out of phase if there is inductive or capacitive reactance in the circuit, thus the need
for Power Factor (PF) adjustment.
• The value of PF will be between 0 (pure reactance) and 1 (pure resistance)
• Four exam questions require this calculation: E5D12, E5D13, E5D07, E5D08

Power Factor – determining the PF

𝑃𝐹 = cos 𝜃

• Interpretation: The value of Power Factor (PF) is determined by the cosign (cos) of the phase angle (𝜃) of the
complex impedance
• The exam questions are easy because the phase angle is given in the question
• To solve for the Power Factor (PF), the calculator entry is simply [cos] followed by the phase angle number given
in the question, and [enter]
• Three exam questions require this calculation: E5D05, E5D11, E5D15

Resonant Frequency
1
𝑓𝑟 = 2𝜋
√𝐿𝐶

• Interpretation: The resonant frequency, or frequency of resonance (𝑓𝑟 ) is determined by 1 divided by = 2 *

𝜋 *the square root of: Inductance (L) in Henrys * Capacitance (C) in Farads
• See the separate Resonant key stroke guide for an example of working this kind of problem
• Two exam questions require this calculation: E5A14, E5A16
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Quality Factor or Q
𝑋 𝑅
For resonant circuit: 𝑄𝑆𝐸𝑅𝐼𝐸𝑆 = 𝑅 𝑜𝑟 𝑄𝑃𝐴𝑅𝐴𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐿 =
𝑋

• Interpretation: The Quality Factor (Q) of a resonant circuit is determined by the Reactance (X), in ohms, and
Resistance (R) in ohms per the formulas above.
• Since the Capacitive and Inductive Reactances are equal in a resonant circuit, either may be used in the formula
(remember that resonance is defined as the frequency where Capacitive and Inductive Reactances are equal).
• There are no exam questions requiring the calculation of Q
• There are two exam questions asking for the formula for Q for the Series and Parallel circuit cases: E5A09, E5A10

Q and Resonant Circuit Half-power bandwidth

𝑓𝑟
Half-power bandwidth = 𝑄

• Interpretation: The Half-power bandwidth, in Hz, = the frequency of resonance (𝑓𝑟 ), in Hz, divided by the Quality
factor (Q)
• Exam questions refer to half-power bandwidth. One of the exam problems asks for this value when the resonant
frequency is 7.1 MHz and the Q is 150. On the calculator: [7] [.] [1] [EE] [6] [÷] [1] [5] [0] [enter]. Should get
47.33E3 which is about 47.3 KHz.
• Two exam questions require this calculation: E5A11, E5A12

Aids

Direct and Inverse Relationships

• There are test questions for Q and Half-power Bandwidth that ask if one increases, what will the other
𝑓𝑟
do. The formula is Half-power Bandwidth = 𝑄
.
• The key to answering this kind of question is to recognize that there is a direct relationship between
half-power bandwidth and the value of the numerator (upper part) in the fraction. This means if 𝑓𝑟
increases, half-power bandwidth will also increase, assuming Q stays the same – a direct relationship.
Likewise, if either gets smaller, so will the other.
• There is an inverse relationship between half-power bandwidth and Q. This is because Q is in the
denominator (lower part) of the fraction. If Q gets larger, the half-power bandwidth will become smaller
– an inverse relationship.
• Knowing the formula shows the relationship between the variables and will help answer exam questions
about what happens to one value if another one gets larger or smaller.

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 𝑬𝑳 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝑪 𝑬 𝒎𝒂𝒏

• This phrase helps show whether voltage or current leads or lags for a particular type of Reactance
(inductive or capacitive)
• Observe the letter in the middle of 𝐸𝐿 𝐼 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝐶 𝐸. “L” is the symbol for inductance, so 𝐸𝐿 𝐼 is telling us
something about relationships between E (voltage) and I (current) for inductive reactance.
• By looking at the letters in 𝐸𝐿 𝐼, we see that the letter E comes before the letter I. Thus, for an inductor,
or inductive reactance, Voltage (E) will lead Current (I). For a pure inductor, voltage will lead current by
90 degrees. For a circuit where there is both resistance and inductive reactance, the voltage will still lead
the current, but by an amount less than 90 degrees.
• Some exam questions ask the question a little differently by using the word lag rather than lead. By
looking at the word 𝐸𝐿 𝐼, we can see that voltage leads the current, and current lags the voltage. If in
doubt, write 𝐸𝐿 𝐼 on scratch paper and compare the order of the letters with what the question is asking
(or what the answers are offering).
• Capacitive reactance is the reverse of inductive. For 𝐼𝐶 𝐸, the center letter is C identifying capacitive
reactance. In this case, I (current) comes before E (voltage) in the word.
• So, for capacitive reactance, current leads voltage. This can also be stated as voltage lags current. Read
the exam question and answers carefully.
• The phrase "𝐸𝐿 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝐶 𝐸 𝑚𝑎𝑛" helps us remember 𝐸𝐿 𝐼 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝐶 𝐸. There is no significance to the
words “the” and “man.”
• There are three exam questions where 𝐸𝐿 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝐶 𝐸 𝑚𝑎𝑛 will help you get the right answer: E5B07,
E5B08, E5B11

𝟏 𝟏
𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 (𝒁) = 𝑨𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 (𝒀)
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 (𝑿) = 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 (𝑩) X to B phase angle reversal

• These two formulas both show inverse/reciprocal relationships

• It is important to know Admittance (Y) is related to Impedance (Z)

• One test question relates to Admittance: E5B12
• The exam does not ask you to calculate Admittance

• It is important to know Reactance (X) is related to Susceptance (B)

• It is important to know the phase angle of the reactance reverses when converting between
Reactance and Susceptance. This means if the phase angle of the reactance was positive, the
Susceptance will be negative, and vice versa.
• It is important to know the magnitude of the reactance becomes the reciprocal of reactance when
stated as susceptance
• Three test questions relate to Susceptance: E5B02, E5B05, E5B06
• There are no calculations for Susceptance on the exam – just facts about definitions and
relationships to reactance

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