Test 1: RC CIRCUIT

From this experiment we understand, the more resistance applied in the RC circuit, the slower the capacitor can charge. The voltage across the capacitor is zero in the beginning and a charging current (I) begins to flow charging up the capacitor until the voltage across the plates is equal to the supply voltage. The charging current stops flowing and the capacitor is said to be "fullycharged, when VC = VIN. The time constant therefore increase increases as the value of the resistance is increased according to the formula: ( )

Theoretical time constant= (), the difference between the calculated and measured time constant can due to various reasons e.g.:- capacitor tolerance, polarization, temperature coefficient and other factors. The value of R and T (time constant) are directly proportional therefore as the resistance is increased the measure time is also increased. More time is required to charge the capacitor as the resistance value in the circuit is increased. Increasing resistance obstructs the flow of the charging current therefore more time is required to charge the capacitor with the same capacitance value. This relationship is further confirmed by the measured values in table below. From the resistance value 1 to 10 KOhms, the time is slowly increasing with increasing resistance and the value of VC increases- the capacitor is charging. Above 50 KOhms the time constant remain the constant indicating the capacitor has fully charged and the input voltage equals to the capacitor voltage. This phenomenon is illustrated in figure 4. The same condition can be observed for the 100 KOhms resistance. Assumption: all values of time constant were approximately taken at 63.2% of full charge, which is the approximate time to charge a capacitor

Resistance (K Ohms)

Time constant (measured value) 144 micro seconds 220 micro seconds 296 micro seconds 470 micro seconds 910 micro seconds 5 milliseconds 5 milliseconds

1 2 3 5 10 50 100

The pictures are arranged in ascending order (resistance is increasing): shows the graph of voltage against time. Figure 1 The capacitor charges in the shortest time.

Figure 2 The time constant value increases with increasing resistance.

Figure 3 The time constant value further increases with increasing resistance.

Figure 4 The capacitor has fully charged.

Test 2: RL CIRCUIT
( ) ( ) ( )

L/R time constant is the time required for the current in an inductor to increase to 63.2 percent of the maximum current. Each time constant is equal to the time required for the current to increase by 63.2 percent of the difference in value between the current flowing in the inductor and the maximum current. Maximum current flows in the inductor after about a number L/R time constants are completed. Once the current reaches this maximum steady state value at about 5, the inductance of the coil has reduced to zero acting more like a short circuit and effectively removing it from the circuit. Theoretical time constant= (97.5 micro seconds), the difference between the calculated and measured time constant can due to the fact that an EMF is induced around the coil of the inductor when current flows through it(Lenz s Law); this opposes the current flowing through the inductor and increases the resistance therefore effecting the time constant value. Also we had problem adjusting the input voltage therefore both the values are very different. In inductor we are dealing with currents. In the beginning a current will flow through the circuit and slowly rise to its maximum value (this is controlled by the input voltage), at a rate determined by the inductance of the inductor.

( )

(Current flowing though the inductor)

Therefore the time constant value is inversely proportional to the resistance; when the resistance of the circuit deceases the time constant value increases. This relationship is illustrated in the table below. At 100Ohms the time constant value is too big- for the inductor to charge according to the input voltage in the circuit in that duration.
Resistance Time constant (measured value) 1.5 micro seconds 2.64 micro seconds 14.0 micro seconds 40.00 micro seconds --

10(KOhms) 5 (KOhms) 1 (KOhms) 500(Ohms) 100(Ohms)

The pictures are arranged in descending order (resistance is decreasing): shows the graph of voltage against time.

Figure 5: zoomed picture

Figure 6 :

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9