G07_Charging a capacitor p.

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G07 Charging a capacitor at a constant rate (FULL REPORT)

ASK YOUR TEACHER TO CHECK YOUR CIRCUIT AFTER FINISHED CONNECTING IT.

Discussion
1. Describe how the capacitance of the capacitor can be found in this experiment. Compare the
results with the labeled one and account for the discrepancy.
2. If the variable resistance is kept fixed, describe the change in voltage on the CRO screen during
charging and try to sketch a graph to show how the potential difference across the capacitor
varies with time.
3. What is the major error in your experiment? Discuss how the error can be reduced.

Suggested Reading:
pp. 100 – 101, C7 Charging a capacitor at a constant rate, P.K. Tao, H.M. Lee, Y.K. Mak, A-Level
Practical Physics for TAS (second edition), Oxford Press, 2002.
p. 309, Raymond Chan, Physics Beyond 2000, Radian Press, 1995.

Questions before experiment

The questions below should be finished on single-line test papers before the practical session and handed in
at the end of the session.

(1) What adjustment should be make in order to keep the capacitor in the experiment being charged at a
constant rate? Also, how to monitor the constant rate of charging?

(2) What is the advantage of using a CRO over a moving coil voltmeter in measuring the voltage across a
capacitor?

You are expected to write the objective, theory and method before the lab session!

BLMCSS_03_ver2.0