Physical Sciences 3

Feb. 712, 2013

Physical Sciences 3: Assignments for Feb. 712

Homework #2: Capacitance and DC Circuits
1. Voltage divider (1 pts). You have an ideal battery with E = 12 V and a resistor with R = 1 k, along
with some wire. You would like to connect the resistor to the battery such that the voltage across R is
5 V. This will require adding a second resistor to the circuit. Draw a circuit diagram indicating how you
would connect the battery and two resistors to achieve the desired result. What must be the resistance of
the extra resistor?
We cant connect the two resistors in parallel with the battery,
because then the voltage across each would be 5 V, and we want the
voltage across the 1-k resistor to be 5 V. So we have to connect
them in series, as shown at left. The voltage across the first resistor R
is Va Vb, and the voltage across the extra resistor Rx is Vb Vc.
We want the voltage across R to be 5 V, so the current through R must be
V
5V
I=
=
= 5 mA
R 1000
from Ohms law. This same current must pass through the other resistor because theyre in series with
one another. We also know that two resistors in series act like a single resistance with Requiv = R + Rx, so
the current must be:
12 V
I=
.
R + Rx
Setting that equal to 5 mA and solving gives R + Rx = 2400 , so the extra resistance must be
Rx = 1400 .

Physical Sciences 3

Feb. 712, 2013

2. Membrane model (4 pts). In class we discussed

a circuit that can model some of the electrical
characteristics of a cell membrane. Lets analyze
this circuit (at right).
a) Consider the case in which the capacitor starts
out uncharged, and then both switches S1 and
S2 are turned onthat is, you turn on both the
ion pumps and the ion channels. Write the
Kirchhoffs Law equations for this circuit.
(Please provide a clear circuit diagram with
your currents and loops labeled.)
Junction A: I1 = I 2 + I 3 .
Big loop: I1 R1 I 2 R2 = 0 .
Left loop: I1 R1
Right loop:

q
= 0.
C

q
I 2 R2 = 0 .
C

b) Use your equations from part (a) to derive the following differential equation for the charge q on the
capacitor:
dq E
q
RC
in which we define an equivalent capacitance C ! = 2
=
dt R1 R1C "
R1 + R2
The charge on the capacitor q is related to current I3 above: I 3 =

dq
= I1 I 2 .
dt

Solving for the currents:

q
.

R1 CR1
q
.
I2 =
CR2

I1 =

I3 =

#
dq
q &
q
q # 1 1 & q # R + R2 &
.
= I1 I 2 = %

= % + (= % 1
(
dt
$ R1 CR1 ' CR2 R1 C $ R1 R2 ' R1 C $ R1 R2 ('

But, weve defined C ! =

R2C
. Plugging this in:
R1 + R2
dq q # R1 + R2 &

q
= %
=

.
dt R1 C $ R1 R2 (' R1 R1C )
2

Physical Sciences 3

Feb. 712, 2013

c) Show explicitly that this differential equation has a solution: q(t) = qmax (1 et R1C " ) , by plugging that
solution into the equation and showing that it works. Then find an expression for qmax.
First we need to take the derivative of q with respect to t:
# 1 & t /R1C "
dq d
.
=
qmax (1 et /R1C " ) = qmax %
e
dt dt
$ R1C " ('
Plugging this in to our statement from part b):
dq
q
.
=
dt R1 R1C #

" 1 % t /R1C ! ? qmax (1 e

qmax $
e
=
R1
R1C !
# R1C ! '&

t /R1C !

0=

)=

qmax qmax et /R1C !

.

+
R1 R1C !
R1C !

qmax
.

R1 R1C #

qmax = C " .
The equation q(t) = qmax (1 e

t R1C "

) is a solution if we define

qmax = C " .

d) We can think of the value of R1 as modeling the speed of the pumps: if the pumps are very fast, then
R1 will be small. Likewise, the value of R2 models the speed of the ion channels: if the channels
allow ions to flow quickly, then R2 will be small. In a neuron, the ion channels are quite fast, while
the pumps are relatively slow. What does this imply for the relative magnitudes of R1 and R2? What
will be the approximate limiting charge qmax in this case if both the pumps and the ion channels are
active? What about when the ion channels are turned off (R2 ) , and only the pumps are
active?
In the neuron the ion channels are fast while the pumps are slow. In our model, this would mean that
R1 >> R2 . The limiting charge qmax in this case would be:
# RC &
# R C&
qmax = C " = % 2 ( % 2 ( .
$ R1 + R2 '
$ R1 '

If R2 , then the limiting charge would be:

qmax

#
&
% C (
# RC &
= C" = % 2 ( = %
( C .
R1
$ R1 + R2 '
%
+ 1(
$ R2
'

Physical Sciences 3
3. Energy in a discharging capacitor (3 pts). Consider a capacitor C
with an initial charge q0. At time t = 0, the switch S is closed and the
capacitor begins to discharge through resistor R.

Feb. 712, 2013

a) How does the total energy dissipated in the resistor relate to the total
energy initially stored in the capacitor? Explain.
The system (i.e., the circuit) only contains the resistor and the capacitor.
With energy conservation in mind, all of the initial stored electrical
potential energy must be converted to heat through ohmic heating in the
resistor.
b) Derive an expression for the energy stored in the capacitor as a function of time. Express your
answer in terms of q0, C, R, and t.
The energy stored in the capacitor can be expressed as:
1 Q2
U=
.
2 C
For a discharging capacitor, we know that the charge as a function of time can be written

Q ( t ) = q0 e RC
so we can just plug that into the first expression to get U(t):
U (t ) =

2t
1 q02 RC
e
.
2C

c) Show mathematically that the rate at which the energy is being removed from the capacitor is equal
to the power instantaneously dissipated in the resistor, at any time t > 0.
We can take the derivative of U(t) with respect to time to get the rate of change of the stored energy.
Since were interested in the rate at which energy is being removed from the capacitor, this quantity will
be negative:
2t
%
dU d " q02 RC
= $
e '
dt dt # 2C
&

2t
%" 2 %
q02 " RC
e
$
'& $# RC '&
2C #

2t
%
q02 " RC
=
e '.
2 $
RC #
&
2
The power instantaneously dissipated in the resistor is I R, and we can also solve for this based on the
known I(t) for a discharging capacitor:
t

q0 RCt
RC
I (t ) = I 0e
=
e
RC

2t
" q0 RCt %
q02 RC
PR = I R = $
e ' R=
e ,
RC 2
# RC
&
which is the exact same expression we had before.
2

Physical Sciences 3

Feb. 712, 2013

4. Pre-Lab question for Lab 2 (2 pts). Please solve this problem before coming to Lab 2, although you
do not need to hand it in separately.
A schematic circuit diagram of a real voltage source (battery) is shown below. The real voltage source
can be modeled as an ideal voltage source along with an internal resistance r in series; the two cannot
be separated (i.e. you cant poke around inside the dashed line with a voltmeter). However, you can
calculate the internal resistance along with the EMF of the ideal voltage source by connecting an
external resistor R, as shown.
a) You want to measure the voltage across R. Draw a
circuit diagram that includes the original circuit, and
then add the voltmeter to the diagram in the
appropriate place with the correct connections. You
can represent the voltmeter by a V with a circle
around it.
The voltmeter needs to be wired in parallel with R in
order to correctly measure the voltage across R. (See
figure to right.)
b) Determine an expression for the voltage across the external resistor R, in terms of E, R, and r.
We can use Kirchhoffs loop rule to write VR in terms of E, R, and r only. Note that we are not
allowed to include I (the current) in our answer:

IR Ir = 0 .
I=

.
R+r

The voltage across the external resistor is equal to

# &
VR = IR = %
R .
$ R + r ('