RC Circuit (Charging Capacitor) Virtual Lab Simulation

General Aim

• Study the variation of charging voltage of the capacitor with time.
• Determine the time constant τ.
• Determine the experimental value of the capacitance of capacitor C.
• Calculate the percentage error for the capacitance.
   

Method

Charging Capacitor (increase of voltage with time).

Learning Objectives (ILO’s)

• See the benefits of using the capacitor and understand what is the capacitance of the capacitor.

• Understand that the variation of charging voltage with time depends on the capacitance and resistance.

• Calculate capacitor's capacitance and the time constant.

Theoretical Background/Context

A capacitor is a device that stores electric energy in an electric field form. A capacitor consists of two conductors separated by a small distance. When the conductors are connected to a charging device (for example, a battery), the charge is transferred from one conductor to the other until the difference in potential between the conductors becomes equal to the potential difference between the terminals of the charging device. The amount of charge stored on either conductor is directly proportional to the voltage, and the constant of proportionality is known as the capacitance.
 

Principle of Work

When we turn on the battery in the charging capacitor circuit and turn off the switch key, the capacitor starts charging, with a stopwatch recording the value of voltage every 10 seconds starting from zero volts until reaching its maximum voltage (V0) during the charging process.