Capacitor ( F) Resistor ( Initial Current Time taken Time taken

(mA) of discharge from

(s) graph(s)

10 000 295 20 12.87

150 38 7.18
4.7 145 2.30

Results :

Capacitor ( F) Resistor ( Initial Current Time Time taken

(mA) taken of from graph
discharge (s)
(s)
2200 295 195 3.93
150 40 1.53
4.7 110 1.24
1000 295 21 1.61
150 40 0.87
4.7 125 0.58
Experiment 3: Capacitor- Time constant of RC Circuit

Objective :

To determine the time constant and the capacitance of a acapacitor using an RC circuit.

Theories :

The total charge, Q on each plate of a capacitor during the discharging processes varies with
time, t as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

During the charging process:

Q Qo (1 e t / RC )

During discharging, the magnitude of the current,I varies with time as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

During the discharging process:

 Q Qo e t / RC

whereQo = the initial amount of charge stored in the capacitor

Q = the amount of charge at time,t
RC = time constant,

The magnitude of the discharge current is:

I I o e t /

Evidently at time. t = , the magnitude of the discharge current is 0.37 of its initial or maximum
value, 0.37Io.

Apparatus :
1. 6V Battery
2. Switch & Breadboard
3. Stopwatch
4. Rheostat
5. 2 capacitors labeled C1 and C2
6. Wire jumpers and connectors
7. DC microammeter
Procedure :

1. The circuit have been set up as shown in Figure 3 with switch S opened.
 Figure 3

2. The reading of micro ammeter have been take for I with switch S closed and I have
been recorded.
3. Switch S was opened and circuit the capacitor have been shorted using a connecting wire
so that the capacitor is fully discharged.
4. Switch S have been closed again to charge the capacitor so that the microammeter
reading is back to I
5. Switch S have been opened and the stopwatch started simultaneously. The reading of
microammeter have been observed. When the current reached a certain value, the
stopwatch have been stopped. The reading of the current I was recorded and time , t
respectively.
6. Steps 4 and 5 were repeated for other values of I and t. The reading have been recorded
and the value was tabulated for both I and t.
7. Capacitor C2 have been added to the circuit as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

8. Steps 3 and 6 have been repeated to obtain the readings of the microammeter and the
stopwatch I and t. The readings have been recorded and tabulated I and t.
9. Graphs have been plotted of I against t and I against t using the same axes.