Calculating the Time Constant Describing Capacitor Charging and Discharging

University of Toronto, Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Department of Physics

ABSTRACT When a capacitor is connected in series with a resistor of known resistance and a predetermined signal, it is possible to predict the rate in which the capacitor will charge and discharge, known as the Time Constant, . Through application of this method the time constant was calculated to be 0.96 ms 0.04ms. The obtained value differs form the predicted one by 0.04ms. The error evident in this result is largely attributed to the published tolerance of both the capacitor and resistor used in the circuit. I. INTRODUCTION With the overwhelming growth and relevance of technology and its applications, its imperative to understand the mechanics and inner workings of the hardware used to build these everyday necessities, with resistors and capacitors being two of the most basic and yet essential components of many electrical apparatuses. When a capacitor is charging the rate in which it accumulates charge, in which it will then store to be used elsewhere, can be modeled by the exponential function. More specifically, it can be modeled by the following exponential function as a function of time. theoretically using with the following relation. (2)
CR

The above equation requires the quantities for R, where R is the published resistance of the resistor and C, where C is the published capacitance of the capacitor. Similarly the discharging of a capacitor can also be modeled using the exponential function, as follows.

V (t) Vo (1 e ) Vo (1 e

t RC

) (3)

V (t) Vo (e ) Vo (e

t RC

) (1)

After the first equality the abovementioned time constant, can be seen, along with the initial voltage, Vo and time variable, t. When dealing with a single resistor and capacitor in series, as was used in this experiment, the constant, can be calculated

The values for each of the variables and constants in the above equation mirror the ones of a charging capacitor exactly (with the obvious exception of the constant, 1). Using equation (2) as a theoretical value for the time constant, it, along with the following experimental results act as the corner stones in determining the value of and in determining the accuracy of said prediction.

II. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD / APPARATUS Its clear from equations (1) and (3) that the time constant determines the amount of time for the voltage to increase by a factor of e-1 from 0 (charging) or decrease by a factor of e-1 from the initial voltage (discharging). The Datastudio 750 interface was used to produce a square wave signal at 200hz and using the oscilloscope set at 1.00 ms/SEC and 2 v/DIV connected in parallel with the capacitor (FIG. 1), as a means to graphically display the charging and

resistor used in the experiment was 1 k 10%, (1 k 0.1 k) and the published capacitance for the capacitor used in the experiment was 1 F 10%, (1 F 0.1 F). III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Qualitative Interpretation of the data

The results yielded by the circuit and oscilloscope configuration closely mirrored the projected results for both the charging and discharging phases of circuit operation, moreover the desired exponential growth and decay of the accumulated potential difference across the capacitor was as expected.
Observed Time Constant

FIG. 1 Apparatus configuration. Note the

oscilloscope in parallel with the capacitor and the capacitor in series with the resistor and signal input.

From the graph, as stated above, the experimental value of the observed time constant was 0.96 ms 0.04 ms. In contrast to this it was found that the predicted time constant was 1.0000 ms 0.0001 ms.
Comparing the Values of

discharging of the capacitor, made it then possible, by careful inspection, to determine approximately where, in the case of this experiment, the capacitor had discharged by a factor of e-1 from its initial voltage. It was observed that this critical value was achieved at 0.96 ms 0.04 ms (as can be seen in FIG. 2, APPENDIX A). Along with this measured value for the time constant, it was noted that the published resistance of the

It can be seen that the observed reading error due to human inaccuracies along with any error associated with the display caliber of the oscilloscope put the observed time constant within the possible range of what was predicted by the equation for . This is more or less the logical conclusion for such a large deviation from the predicted value since the published tolerances should yield less deviation. Taking these factors into account the observed value read off the graph is remarkably close to the expected value and serves as an 2

acceptable estimate circumstances. IV. CONCLUSION

given

the

The observed value for the time constant, was recorded as 0.96 ms 0.04 ms. Even though this result may be consider close to they predicted value it is still far outside the range of the published error due to un avoidable human (and possible machine) error, in which case the outcome of the experiment has to be deemed a null result. V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would indeed like to thank his lab partner, Pai Daniel. The author would like to extend utmost gratitude The Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences for providing the means to carry out the above experiment.
Experiment carried out by Andrew Ross and Pai Daniel. Exposition of the above experiment written by Andrew Ross.