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176 THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 38, March 2000 Computer-Based Experiments to Measure RC
Computer-Based Experiments to Measure RC
Francis X. Hart, Department of Physics, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN 37383-1000; [email protected]
S
tudents in introductory physics
labs routinely use computers for
acquisition of data in mechanics and
thermodynamics experiments, but
there are comparatively few electrici-
ty and magnetism experiments that
make use of computers for data
acquisition. This note reports on how
we use the Vernier ULI system for the
measurement of the RC time constant
for the charging and discharging of a
capacitor.
The experiment requires two
instrumentation amplifiers (we use
Vernier model INA-DIN, which per-
mits the recording of bipolar signals)
to measure voltages. One measures
the voltage across the resistor, V
R
, the
other the voltage across the capacitor,
V
C
. Students record and display the
voltage across the resistor during
both charging and discharging and
thus observe the reversal in the direc-
tion of current during discharge.
Verniers Datalogger program con-
trols the collection and analysis of the
data.
capacitor during charging should be
at any time, t, respectively:
V
R
= f V
o
e
t/T
(1)
and
V
C
= f V
o
(1 e
t/T
) (2)
where T = RC is the time constant or
relaxation time for the circuit.
During discharging the readings
should be
V
R
= -f V
o
e
t/T
(3)
and
V
C
= f V
o
e
t/T
(4)
Our students had used Datalogger
in an earlier experiment and were
familiar with its basic features. We
recommend that students use an
exponential fit with a constant offset
in Datalogger. The offset provides the
final voltage of the capacitor during
charging, but is also useful for the V
R
fit since it can represent a zero-offset
of the amplifier that occurs after cali-
bration. The students wire their cir-
cuits, select appropriate data acquisi-
tion rates, and measure the actual val-
ues of the resistors and capacitors
with a Radio Shack digital multime-
ter (#22-168A).
The students start the Datalogger
program and throw the switch to
begin charging the capacitor. Figure 2
illustrates student data for V
R
and V
C
during the charging of a 4.41-F
capacitor through a 99.7-k resistor
and the corresponding fits provided
by the Datalogger software. (That
software can present only one fit at a
time so I have transferred the student
results to Excel to illustrate both the
V
R
and V
C
fits.) There is clearly good
agreement between the measured
data and the theoretical model under-
Figure 1 illustrates the basic cir-
cuit arrangement. A student will
throw a double-pole/double-throw
switch, S, in the direction to apply a
voltage to the RC circuit. Because the
maximum voltage that can be meas-
ured by our amplifier in the bipolar
mode is 1.0 V and the voltage source
is a D cell (V
o
= 1.5 V), a rheostat
serves as a voltage divider to lower
the voltage to the RC branch. The
slidebar on the rheostat divides its
resistance, R
t
, into two segments, R
1
and R
2
. Before the switch is thrown,
the voltage across the RC branch is
f V
o
, where f is R
2
/(R
1
+ R
2
).
The students calibrate the two
instrumentation amplifiers in two
steps. First, they connect the leads of
each amplifier together to provide an
input of zero volts. Second, they use
a digital voltmeter to measure the
voltage f V
o
from the rheostat output
and then connect that output to each
of the two amplifiers.
For typical choices of R
t
and f, the
voltages across the resistor and
Fig. 1. Diagram of circuit used to measure time constant of resistor R and capacitor
C. S = double-pole / double-throw switch; V
o
= 1.5 V D-cell. R
1
and R
2
= two seg-
ments of rheostat used as a divider that provides voltage to charge capacitor.
Rheostat resistance range is 500 to 1000 .
Computer-Based Experiments to Measure RC THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 38, March 2000 177
lying Eqs. (1) and (2). Ideally, T =
0.44 0.02 s. The uncertainty results
from the accuracy of the multimeter
used to measure R and C. The exper-
imental time constants are 0.437
0.003 s from the V
C
fit and 0.429
0.002 s from the V
R
fit. The students
obtain the experimental uncertainty
by performing the fits over several
different sections of the curve, then
finding the average and standard
deviation of the results. The goodness
of the fit depends to some extent on
the duration of the interval over
which the fitting procedure is
applied: longer time intervals
increase the error. Part of the differ-
ence between the calculated and
experimental values is due to the
input resistance and capacitance of
the amplifiers, which will be dis-
cussed below.
After the fitting has been per-
formed and the data saved, the stu-
dents throw the switch in the opposite
direction to discharge the capacitor.
Figure 3 shows student data and fits
from Eqs. (3) and (4) for V
R
and V
C
during discharge. The reversal of
direction of the current through the
resistor during discharge is evident,
as is the mirror symmetry of the V
R
and V
C
curves. The fits to the V
C
and
V
R
data yield values for T of 0.440
0.004 s and 0.428 0.000 s, respec-
tively. Note that the voltages at the
start of the discharge are considerably
lower than the voltage on the capaci-
tor at the end of the charging period.
There was evidently a high-resistance
short in the switch and the capacitor
had partially discharged while the
students were analyzing the charging
data.
The students perform the charg-
ing/discharging procedure for two
other combinations of resistor and
capacitor: 100 k and 2.2 F and 47
k and 2.2 F. This range of values
for R and C provides a good illustra-
tion of the dependence of relaxation
time on the product of R and C.
Values outside this range can,
however, lead to relatively large
errors because of the instrumentation
and discharging of a capacitor.
Students obtain very good results if
the choices for R and C are kept with-
in a well-defined range.
Acknowledgment
I express my thanks to Jacqueline
Tate and Elizabeth Traister for the use
of their data and to Ms. Tate for the
use of her data analysis.
amplifiers parallel input resistance
R
in
(which is 1 M) and capacitance
C
in
(which is 0.2 F). The instructor
can choose suitable values of R and C
so that the students observe the errors
introduced by the input resistance
and capacitance or even measure
those values themselves.
This exercise demonstrates the
principles involved in the charging
Fig. 2. Variation with time of voltage across capacitor, V
C
, and resistor, V
R
, during charging:
asterisks, V
C
measured; open circles, V
R
measured. The fitted lines are coincident with the meas-
ured values.
Fig. 3. Variation with time of the voltage across capacitor, V
C
, and resistor, V
R
, during discharging:
asterisks, V
C
measured; open circles, V
R
measured.
V
C
a
n
d

V
R
(
V
o
l
t
s
)
V
C
a
n
d

V
R
(
V
o
l
t
s
)