RC TIME CONSTANT

PreLab Questions
1. A
2. D
3. C
4. Q = Cε (1−e^-t/RC) I = (ε /R) e^-t/RC
5. Q = Cε e^-t/RC I = (ε /R) e^-t/RC
6. RC = (3.50×10^6)(5.00 × 10^−6 ) = 17.5 s
7. RC = (10.0×10^6)(10.0×10^−6 )= 100 s V = ε e^t/RC =
(12.0)(e^-35/100) = (12.0)(0.7047) = 8.46 V
8. Rt = (R1) (R2)/ (R1+R2) = (12.0)(10.0)/(22.0) = 5.455 MΩ
RtC = (5.455×10^6)(5.00×10^−6 ) =27.28 s V = ε e^−t/RC =
(24.0)(e−25/27.28) = (24.0)(0.3999) = 9.60 V
9. False

Table 1
V T1 T2 T3 lnƐ/V T bar αt
18.00 24.9 25.2 24.2 0.1054 24.7 0.3
16.00 52.6 53.9 52.8 0.2231 53.1 0.4
14.00 85.2 86.7 85.8 0.3567 85.9 0.4
12.00 123.4 124.4 123.2 0.5108 123.6 0.4
10.00 169.8 168.1 168.4 0.6932 168.7 0.5
8.00 225.7 225.0 224.9 0.9163 225.2 0.3
6.00 298.4 297.8 297.5 1.204 297.9 0.3
4.00 402.8 401.9 401.9 1.609 402.2 0.3
Ɛ=20.00 R=22.0x10^6 r =0.99994 Intercept=0.014
Slope=3.985x10^- RC=250.9 C=1.14x10^-
3 5

Table 2
V T1 T2 T3 lnƐ/V T bar αt
18.00 8.4 8.6 8.5 0.1054 8.5 0.1
16.00 17.9 18.2 18.0 0.2231 18.0 0.1
14.00 28.7 29.2 28.9 0.3567 28.9 0.2
12.00 41.4 41.2 41.2 0.5108 41.3 0.1
10.00 55.8 55.9 55.8 0.6932 55.8 0.1
8.00 74.1 74.4 74.4 0.9163 74.3 0.1
6.00 97.7 98.0 98.3 1.204 98.0 0.2
4.00 132.4 132.3 132.4 1.609 132.4 0.1
Ɛ=20.00 R=22.0x10^6 r =0.99994 Intercept=0.0065
Slope=0.01217 RtC=82.2 Rt=7.21x10^6 Ru=10.7x10^6

Questions:
1. Both graphs are highly linear as evidenced by the correlation
coefficients both being 0.99994. By Appendix I there is only
one chance in 1000 that 8 data points that are not correlated
would have r ≥ 0.925. Thus these data confirm the theory
extremely well.

2. For these data the known values were C = 10.82 μF and RU =

10.80 MΩ. Thus the percentage error for C = (11.4‐
10.82)/(10.82)×100% = 6%.The percentage error for RU =
(10.7‐10.8)/(10.8)×100% = 0.9 %.

3. RC has units of ΩF = (V/A)(C/V) = (C/A) = (C)/(C/s) = s

4. RC = (4.57×10^6)(5.60×10^‐6) = 25.6 s (V)/( ε) = e^‐t/RC and

taking the ln of both sides gives ln(V/ε ) = (−t)/(RC) or t = − RC
ln(V/ε) = ‐25.6 ln(10/25) = 23.4 s