Name: Azariah Barrett Date: February 5, 2024

Experiment #10 Title: The RC Circuit

Aim: To investigate the time variation of the voltages in a series circuit containing
a capacitor, a resistor, and a direct current (d.c.) source.
Apparatus: 220μF capacitor, powered breadboard, stopwatch, 1MΩ resistor,
unknown resistor, multimeter
Diagram:

Procedure:
1. On the breadboard, the circuit was built as shown in the diagram.
2. Both legs of the capacitor were placed in the same horizontal row of the
breadboard for a few seconds, causing a short-circuit, and causing the
capacitor to be discharged.
3. The multimeter was connected across the resistor, to measure the voltage
across it.
4. The power was turned on, and the voltage, Vr across the resistor was
measured at 20 second intervals for 140 seconds. The power was turned off
after the readings were taken.
5. A graph of ln(Vr) vs t was drawn, and the time constant was determined
based on this graph.
6. The 1MΩ resistor was then replaced with the unknown resistor, and the
multimeter was connected across it, after ensuring that the capacitor was
first discharged.
7. The power was turned on again and readings for the voltage, Vu across the
unknown resistor were taken every 20 seconds.
8. A graph of ln(Vu) vs t was also drawn and the time constant determined,
and then the value of the unknown resistor was found.
Results/Observations:
TABLE SHOWING TIME, VOLTAGE ACROSS KNOWN RESISTOR, AND
NATURAL LOG OF VOLTAGE

Time (s) Voltage across known Ln of VR

resistor (VR)/V

20 9.9 2.29

40 8.3 2.12

60 7.1 1.96

80 6.0 1.79

100 5.3 1.67

120 4.6 1.53

140 4.0 1.39

TABLE SHOWING TIME, VOLTAGE ACROSS UNKNOWN RESISTOR, AND

NATURAL LOG OF VOLTAGE

Time (s) Voltage across unknown Ln of VU

resistor (VU)/V

20 4.1 1.41

40 1.8 0.59

60 0.9 -0.10

80 0.5 -0.69

100 0.3 -1.20

120 0.2 -1.61

140 0.2 -1.61

Calculations:
−𝑡
Derivation for a straight line graph equation using VR = V0e^( 𝑅𝐶 ):
−𝑡
VR = V0e^( 𝑅𝐶 )
−𝑡
ln VR = ln [V0e^( 𝑅𝐶 )]
−𝑡
ln VR = ln V0 + ln [e^( 𝑅𝐶 )]
−𝑡
ln VR = ln V0 + 𝑅𝐶
1
ln VR = − 𝑅𝐶
t + ln V0
∵ ln VR = y, and t = x,
1
∴y=− 𝑅𝐶
x + ln V0,
1
where − 𝑅𝐶 is m, the gradient, and ln V0 is c, the y-intercept.

Time constant for known resistor:

1.23 − 2.35
m= 160𝑠 − 0.4𝑠
−1.12
m= 159.6𝑠
m = –0.007s-1
1
m=− 𝑅𝐶
1
− 𝑅𝐶
= – 0.007s-1
1
RC = −1
0.007𝑠
RC = 142.86s
142.86𝑠
R= −6
220×10 𝐹
R = 649,363.64Ω

Time constant for unknown resistor:

−2.00 − 1.55
m= 135𝑠 − 10𝑠
−3.55
m= 125𝑠
m = – 0.0284s-1
1
m=− 𝑅𝐶
1
− 𝑅𝐶
= – 0.0284s-1
 1
RC = − −1
0.0284𝑠
RC = 35.211s
35.211𝑠
R= −6
220×10 𝐹
R = 160,050Ω
Discussion:
In this experiment, a simple RC circuit was used, which is a circuit
consisting of a capacitor, a resistor (used to discharge the capacitor across), and a
power source providing an emf to the circuit. The emf stands for electromotive
force, and can be defined as the work done in moving charge around a circuit.
Kirchhoff’s voltage law (or the loop law) speaks to the emf in a circuit, and states
that in any closed loop of a circuit, the sum of the emf’s provided by a source or
sources in the loop is equal to the sum of voltage drops across each component in
that loop. In the circuit used in this experiment, that would mean that the 12V
being provided by the source would be equal to the voltage drops across both the
resistor and the capacitor.
Before working with the capacitor, both its legs were inserted into holes of
the same row of the breadboard, causing a short circuit, and discharging the
capacitor. This was done in order to avoid electric shock when touching the
capacitor.
It is known that the equation for the voltage in a discharge circuit is an
exponential one, which would yield an exponential graph. To be able to more
accurately get information from an exponential graph, the equation for the graph
would have to be linearised, which involves the equation yielding a straight line
instead of an exponential curve. In terms of the voltage discharge equation, the
natural log of both sides of the equation was taken to linearise the equation,
which is why ln VR vs t was plotted instead of VR vs t.
Sources of Error:
1. Reaction time due to the use of the stopwatch
2. Internal resistance of the power source
3. The multimeter, the power source, and the stopwatch were not turned on
at the exact same time.

Precautions:
1. Touching the capacitor while it was charged was avoided to prevent
shocking.
2. Applying excess voltage to the capacitor was avoided to prevent the
component from blowing.
3. When setting up the multimeter, the current setting was avoided to prevent
shock.

Conclusion: This experiment showed that the voltage in a circuit in which a

capacitor is being discharged varies exponentially with time.