LAB 6: RC Circuits

Date
Lead Author
Lead Experimentalist
Associate Experimentalist

Introduction

Resistors and capacitors are often found together in circuits. When fully charged, a capacitor acts
like an open switch, blocking the flow of current. However, if we remove the voltage source, the
capacitor will discharge its stored energy through the resistor. Mathematically, we can write the
stored charge in a discharging capacitor at a given time as
−t / τ
Q=Q 0 e Eq (1)
where Q0=C V 0 is the initial charge on the capacitor at time t = 0 and t is the amount of time that
the capacitor has been discharging. From this equation, we can see that the rate at which the
capacitor discharges decreases exponentially as time passes.
The stored charge in a charging capacitor will show similar behavior, following the relationship
Q=Q max ¿) Eq (2)
Both the charging and discharging equations contain the quantity τ, which is known as the time
constant of the circuit and is the product of the capacitance and resistance:
τ = RC Eq (3)
For a capacitor discharging through a resistor, τ is the amount of time it takes for the voltage
across the capacitor to drop to 37% (= 1/e) of its initial value.
In this lab, you will explore:
o How the charge and voltage on the capacitor change with time when a capacitor is charging or
discharging
o How the current in the RC circuit changes with time when a capacitor is charging or
discharging
Theory:
 In general, Ohm’s Law can be used to find resistor voltage if the current through the resistor
is known. In an RC circuit, the current flowing through the resistor is due to charge moving
from one capacitor plate to the other. Since the capacitor charge varies exponentially with
time and depends on τ , the resistor current and voltage will as well.
 The voltage across the capacitor can be found by starting with Eq. (1) or Eq. (2) and noting
that Q=C V C . For a charging capacitor, we find that V c =V max ( 1−e ), where Vmax = Qmax/C.
−t / τ

Though the voltage has an exponential dependence on time, we can produce a linear
relationship by isolating the exponential and then taking the natural logarithm of both sides of
the equation. The time constant of the circuit can then be obtained by plotting time versus the

(
negative of ln 1−
V
V max).

−t / τ
 The voltage V across the resistor R when the capacitor is charging is given by V R=V max e .

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 Similarly the time taken for a capacitor to charge is given by t=−τ ln 1− ( VC
V max )
, where V c is

the Voltage across the capacitor.

Experiment

• Open the Circuit Construction Kit: AC simulator at the link below and click to open the
“Lab”
http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/circuit-construction-kit-ac/latest/circuit-construction-kit-ac_en.html

• Construct the circuit shown in Figure 1 using a 25 Ω resistor, a 0.20 F capacitor and a 10 V
battery. Check “value” option to display the values on the screen. Use the line ammeter
(symbol: ) connected between points F and B to measure current in the circuit while
the capacitor is charging or discharging. Both switches should initially be open.
• At this point, the capacitor should be fully discharged. If it isn’t, you can discharge the
capacitor by clicking on it and selecting the discharge button on the left (circle with a
lightning bolt). Now, connect a voltmeter across the capacitor. Pay attention to the polarity so
that your measured voltage is positive.

Figure 1: Charging and discharging capacitor schematic diagram

 Insert a screenshot of the

circuit with actual circuit elements. (not the schematic diagram) [5 pts]

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• In the menu on the right, check the box to place a stopwatch on the screen. Move the
stopwatch to the bottom right, just above the simulation “Start” button. You will be using this
stopwatch to make time measurements and will need to pause the simulation at ~2 s
intervals, so run the simulation a few times to practice pausing and unpausing. When the
simulation is paused, the timer should automatically stop.

Part 1: Charging a Capacitor

• Use Excel to create Table 1 with columns for time, capacitor voltage, and current.

• In the simulator, confirm that Switch 1 and Switch 2 are open. Make sure the capacitor is
initially completely discharged and that the simulation is not running.

• Now close Switch 1, start the stopwatch and then run the simulation. The order is important
here – the stopwatch needs to be on before the simulation starts. After about 2 seconds
passes, pause the simulator. This will also pause the timer. Record the time on the stopwatch,
the capacitor voltage, and the current displayed on the ammeter in Table 1. Do not round any
of the readings, record values exactly as they appear in the simulator.

• Let the simulation run for another 2 s, pause, and record data. Repeat the process to take
measurements every 2 to 3 seconds until the capacitor is fully charged and the current stops
(~15 measurements). Do not reset the timer in between measurements. Record your results in
Table 1.

 Add a fourth column to Table 1 and fill it in by computing −ln 1−( VC

V max), where Vmax = 10 V.

Show a sample calculation here. [5 pts]

 (
Use Excel to plot t vs. −ln 1−
V
V max)using the data from Table 1. Use the chart type “Scatter”

and select the option with data points only (no lines). Right click on one of the data points and
select “Add Trendline.” to add a linear fit to the data. In the Format Trendline menu, check the
box to display the equation on the chart.
a. Insert a screenshot of your table 1
b. Insert a screenshot of your graph below. The graph should contain: Labeled axes and units,
data points, and your best-fit line (remember that the best-fit line does not necessarily go
through all the points, but approximates the trend) and the equation of the best-fit line [20
pts].

Insert a screenshot of your table 1 here 3

 Insert a screenshot of your graph 1 here.

 Calculate the theoretical time constant of the circuit using Eq (3). Next, use the slope of the
best-fit line to find the time constant of the circuit. Calculate the percent error in your
measurement and comment on the results. Show work and summarize your results in the
table below. [5 pts]

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 τ Experimental τ T heoretical % error

Part 2: Discharging a Capacitor

 In your Excel workbook, create Table 2 with the same format and columns as Table 1.
 In the simulator, make sure that the capacitor is fully charged. The capacitor is charged when
the voltage is close to 10 V and is no longer changing. Reset the stopwatch, pause the
simulator, and then open Switch 1 and close Switch 2. Start the stopwatch and then start the
simulator. Repeat the procedure from Part 1 of pausing every 2-3 seconds to collect data until
the capacitor is fully discharged and the current stops (~15 measurements). Record your
results in Table 2.
 As with the charging capacitor, the voltage of a discharging capacitor has an exponential
dependence on time. By using Eq (1) and a process similar what was done in the Theory
section, we find that the time constant of the discharging circuit can be obtained by plotting

time vs the negative of ln ( )

V
V max
, where Vmax is again 10 V. The time taken to discharge the

capacitor is given by the equation: t=−τ ln ( )

VC
V max
.

 Complete the last column in Table 2 by computing−ln ( )

VC
V max
, where Vmax= 10 V. Show a

sample calculation here. [5 pts]

 In the space below, insert Table 2. You may insert a screenshot or directly copy the table from
Excel. [10 pts]

Insert a screenshot of your table 2 here

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 Use Excel to plot t vs −ln ( VV )
max
using the data in Table 2. Plot the data using the “Scatter”

chart type and select the option for points only (no lines). Add a trendline to perform a linear
fit and display the equation on the chart. Insert a screenshot of your graph below. Be sure to
include all the appropriate labeling and units on your graph. [10 pts]

Insert a screenshot of your graph 2 here.

 Use the slope of the best-fit line to find the time constant of the circuit. Compare your
experimental value to the theoretical time constant by calculating percent error and comment
on the results. Show work and summarize your results in the table below. [5 pts]

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τ Experimental τ T heoretical % error

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Part 3: Comparing Current and Voltage Variations over Time

 Now let’s compare the variations of current and voltage over time for the charging and
discharging capacitor. We will do this by plotting Current vs. Time and Voltage vs. Time on
the same graph for each data set.
 Use the current and voltage values for the charging capacitor circuit in Table 1 to plot a graph
with time on the x-axis and both current and voltage on the y-axis.
 To create a plot with two y-axes, select the three data columns (time, voltage, current), click
on the “Insert” menu and create a scatter plot with points as you did previously. Next, right
click on the chart and select “Change Chart Type.” In the window that opens, select the “All
Charts” tab and then select “Combo” from the list on the left. You should now see a preview
of your chart with two data series’ listed underneath. Use the drop-down menus to select the
appropriate chart type for each set of data. Both should be the “XY Scatter” type with points
and no lines. Check the box to make “Current” the secondary axis. Click Ok to exit the menu.
You should now see a graph with two sets of points and two vertical axes.
 Repeat the above process to create a graph for the data in Table 2.
 Insert a screenshot of the two graphs below. Both graphs should have all appropriate labels
and units. [10 pts]

Insert a screenshot of your graphs here.

 Using your graphs, compare how the capacitor voltage and resistor current vary with time. Is
your data consistent with theoretical expectations? Explain. [5 pts]

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Results and Conclusions (20 pts)

Briefly summarize the objective of today’s lab as well as the results of your experiment. State any
applicable errors you calculated and give AT LEAST two possible reasons your results deviated
from theoretical values. If the experiment was purely qualitative (i.e. you did not calculate a %
difference or % error), you may replace the two sources of error with two SPECIFIC concepts
from lecture that the experiment demonstrated.