Sunday, February 1, 2026

HP 12C Platinum: RC Series Circuit Analysis

HP 12C Platinum: RC Series Circuit Analysis


The program was originally posted on the Museum of HP Calculators website (https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-24591-post-215436.html#pid215436).


A difference between the HP 12C Platinum and the HP 12C Classic is that the Platinum has a square function (x²). The square function is the g-shifted (blue) of the multiplication key.



Introduction and Program Code


Given the following of a RC series circuit:


Stack Z: E: voltage of the RC circuit

Stack Y: R: resistance of the resistor (R) in ohms (Ω)

Stack X: Xc: equivalent resistance of capacitor (Xc) in ohms (Ω)


What is calculated:


Stack Z: equivalent impedance of the RC series circuit in ohms (Ω), Z = √(R^2 + Xc^2)

Stack Y: current in amps (A), I = E ÷ Z

Stack X: true power in watts (W), P = I^2 * R


Program Code:


x^2

001

43, 20

beginning of the program

x<>y

002

34


STO 0

003

44, 0

store resistor

x^2

004

43, 20


+

005

40


√x

006

43, 21


PSE

007

43, 31

show impedance

ENTER

008

36


R↓

009

33


÷

010

10


PSE

011

43, 31

show current

ENTER

012

36


x^2

013

43, 20


R↓

014

33

stack manipulation (014 – 018)

R↓

015

33


x<>y

016

34


R↓

017

33


R↓

018

33


RCL 0

019

45, 0


×

020

20


GTO 000

021

43, 33, 000

finish program, show power


Example


E = 150 V

R = 19 Ω

Xc = 10 Ω


Results (to four decimal places):


Z ≈ 21.4709 Ω

I ≈ 6.9862 A

P ≈ 927.3319 W


Source

Noll, Edward M. Basic Electronics Math With a Scientific Calculator Howard W. Sams & Co, Inc. Indianapolis, IN. 1977. 0-672-21425-3 pp. 81-98


Eddie


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