# An electric lamp is connected in series with a capacitor and an AC source is glowing with a certain brightness.

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An electric lamp is connected in series with a capacitor and an AC source is glowing with a certain brightness. How does the brightness of the lamp change on increasing the capacitance ?

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Impedance, Z = $$\sqrt{R^{2}+\frac{1}{\omega^{2} C^{2}}}$$, where R is the resistance of the lamp, w is the angular frequency of AC and C is the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the AC source and the lamp. When C is increased,  decreases. Hence, Z increases.
Power factor, cos Φ = $$\frac{R}{Z}$$
As Z increases, the power factor decreases.
Now, the average power over one cycle,
Pav = vrms irms cos Φ
= Vrms $$\left(\frac{V_{\mathrm{rms}}}{Z}\right)$$ cos Φ
= $$\frac{V_{\mathrm{rms}}^{2}}{\mathrm{Z}} \cos \phi$$
∴ Pav decreases as Z increases and cos Φ decreases.
As the current through the lamp $$\left(\frac{V_{\mathrm{rms}}}{Z}\right)$$ decreases, the brightness of the lamp will decrease when C is increased