SUNSHINE PUBLIC

SCHOOL

PHYSICS INVESGATORY
PROJECT

TOPIC:
CHARGING & DISCHARGING OF CAPACITOR IN R-C CIRCUIT

By: Utkarsh Chauhan To: MR. Jubair

Class : XII

Roll no:45
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Utkarsh Chauhan of class
XII has successfully complete the project on the
topic Charging and discharging of Capacitor in
RC circuit under the guidance of Mr. Jubair Sir
during the year 2022-23 in the partial fulfilment of
the physics practical examination conducted by the
CBSE.

SIGN. OF EXTERNAL EXAMINER SIGN OF TEACHER

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my immense gratitude to my
physics teacher Mr. Jubair for the help and guidance he
provided for completing this project.

I also thank my parents who gave their ideas and inputs

in making this project. Most of all I thanks our school
management, for providing us the facilities and
opportunity to do this project.

-Utkarsh Chauhan

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 INDEX
Content Page no
Certificate 2
3
Acknowledgement

Aim 5

Introduction 6-7

Materials required 8

Theory 9-11

Procedure 12

Observation 13

Calculation 14

Conclusion 15
Precautions
16
and Bibliography

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AIM
To verify that 63% charge is stored in a capacitor
in a R-C Circuit at its time constant and 63%
charge remains when capacitor is discharged and
hence plot a graph between Voltage and time.

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INTRODUCTION
An R-C circuit is a circuit containing a resistor and capacitor in
series to a power source. Such circuits find very important
applications in various areas of science and in basic circuits
which act as building blocks of modern technological devices.
It should be really helpful if we get comfortable with the
terminologies charging and discharging of capacitors.

1. Charging of Capacitor: -
A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used
to store energy in an electric field. In the hydraulic analogy,
charge carriers flowing through a wire are analogous to water
flowing through a pipe. A capacitor is like a rubber membrane
sealed inside a pipe. Water molecules cannot pass through the
membrane, but some water can move by stretching the
membrane. The analogy clarifies a few aspects of capacitors:

• The low of current alters the charge on a capacitor, just as

the low of water changes the position of the membrane.
More specifically, the effect of an electric current is to
increase the charge of one plate of the capacitor, and
decrease the charge of the other plate by an equal
amount. This is just like how, when water low moves the
rubber membrane, it increases the amount of water on
one side of the membrane, and decreases the amount of
water on the other side.

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 • .The more a capacitor is charged, the larger its voltage
drop; i.e., the more it “pushes back” against the charging
current. This is analogous to the fact that the more a
membrane is stretched, the more it pushes back on the
water.
• Current can low “through” a capacitor even though no
individual electron can get from one side to the other. This
is analogous to the fact that water can low through the
pipe even though no water molecule can pass through the
rubber membrane. Of course, the low cannot continue the
same direction forever; the capacitor will experience
dielectric breakdown, and analogously the membrane will
eventually break.
• The capacitance describes how much charge can be stored
on one plate of a capacitor for a given “push” (voltage
drop). A very stretchy, flexible membrane corresponds to a
higher capacitance than a stiff membrane.
• A charged-up capacitor is storing potential energy,
analogously to a stretched membrane.

2. Discharging of Capacitor: -
Using hydraulic analogy only we can understand that when the
capacitor is charged the membrane is stretched, but now if you
allow the water to come out slowly and let the membrane relax,
then it is called discharging of capacitor. In other words, when
the charge on each of the plates becomes zero and the potential
difference across its terminals drops to zero.

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Materials Required: -

1. Breadboard
2. 100µF capacitor
3. 1 MΩ resistor
4. Multi-meter
5. 9V battery
6. Wire stripper, connecting wires, battery connector
7. Stopwatch
8. 2 Led(1.5V-2V)

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THEORY
When a capacitor of capacitance C is connected in series with a
resistor of resistance R and then connected to a battery of EMF
E it gets charged but since some resistance has been
introduced, this charging process takes some time and hence
the potential difference between the plates of the capacitor
varies as an exponential function of time, i.e.

V ext
The circuit diagram for this experiment is given below:

Applying KIRCHHOFF’S LAW in the above circuit during

charging i.e. capacitor is connected to battery

𝑬 – 𝑽𝑪 – 𝑰𝑹 = 𝟎 …………………………(i)

𝑸
Vc=
𝑪
Putting above in eq. (i)
𝑸
𝑬– -𝑰𝑹 = 𝟎
𝑪

Since,

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 𝒅𝑸
𝑰 = 𝒅𝒕 Therefore,

𝑸 𝒅𝑸
𝑬– − R=0
𝑪 𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝑸
EC-Q= 𝒅𝒕 𝑹𝑪

Integrating both sides,

𝟏 𝟏
∫ dt=∫Q 𝑬𝑪−𝑸 𝒅𝑸
𝑹𝑪

𝑬𝑪−𝑸 𝒕
-𝐥𝐧 = ……………………….(ii)
𝑬𝑪 𝑹𝑪

𝒕
𝑸 −𝑹𝑪
𝟏 –𝑬𝑪 = 𝒆

Hence, we get
𝒕
−𝑹𝑪
𝑸 = 𝑬𝑪(𝟏 – 𝒆 )

Since, 𝑬𝑪 =Q0 (*For a capacitor)

Therefore,
𝟏
−𝑹𝑪
𝑸 =Q 0 (𝟏 –𝒆 )…………………(iii)
Where,

𝑸 → Charge at time T

Q0 → Maximum charge

Also,

𝑸 = 𝑪𝑽 and Q0=CV0

Where, 𝑽 → Voltage at time T , V0→ Maximum voltage

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Therefore, from eq. (iii)
𝟏
𝑪𝑽 = CV0 (𝟏 – 𝒆−𝑹𝑪 )
𝟏
𝑽 =V0 (𝟏 – 𝒆−𝑹𝑪 ) (*Required expression)

[Note: This is the charging equation only, for discharging

equation proceed the same way but only remove E from
Kirchhoff law equation]

Thus, equation for discharging

𝟏
𝑽 = V0 (𝒆−𝑹𝑪 )

When 𝑹𝑪 = 𝒕, then equation becomes

𝑽 = 𝑽𝑶 (𝒆−𝟏 ) , Which on solving gives

𝑽 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟑𝑽𝑶

i.e. the voltage on capacitor at time ‘𝑻 = 𝑹𝑪’ becomes 63% of

the max voltage, which means 63% of total charge has been
stored in the capacitor.

This product of R and C has been given a new name, i.e. time
constant and is denoted by τ, which mean for any capacitor in
RC circuit 63% of total charge is at time constant.

In my experiment I have used a 100µF capacitor and 1 MΩ

resistor

Thus, Time constant = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 ×10−6 × 106 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒔𝒆𝒄

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PROCEDURE
➢ Connect all the components in breadboard

➢ Now take multimeter leads and place them in the two

terminals

➢ Now take the Battery and its terminal across the terminal of
the capacitor and start the stopwatch. Note the readings at
20sec intervals and write them down. Take 10 readings and if
required the 20sec gap could be increased because as the time
passes by the change in voltage becomes smaller and smaller.

➢ Now let the capacitor be charged up to 460 secs because

then it will become 99.99% charged [since we have a limited
time and we can’t wait for infinite time for it to charge
completely!]. Now remove the battery and now attach a wire in
place of the battery terminals and again note the multimeter
readings changing and record them.

➢ Plot a graph between voltage and time for charging as well

as discharging

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 Observation
Multi-meter Multi-meter
Time
S.no. reading while reading while
(in S)
charging (in V) discharging (in V)
1. 0 8.95 0

2. 1.65 7.34 20

3. 3.02 6.00 40

4. 4.11 4.91 60

5. 4.90 4.03 80

6. 5.69 3.30 100

7. 6.72 2.21 140

8. 7.00 1.54 180

9. 8.12 0.74 250

10. 8.40 0.43 300

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GRAPH
Plot of voltage vs time

Time on X-axis and Voltage on Y-axis

• For Charging

• For Discharging

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CALCULATION
Now since the Graph are very much similar to the graph of
charging and discharging of capacitor.

At τ=100s, during charging of capacitor the voltage on capacitor

is 5.69 volt as it is observed in the experiment. Now using the
charging Formula:
−𝑡
𝐕 = 𝟗(𝟏 – 𝑒 ) 𝑡

1
𝐕 = 𝟗(𝟏 -𝑒 )

𝑽 = 𝟓. 𝟔𝟕 ≈ 5.69

Which is achieved experimentally as well.

Similarly, during discharging,

𝑽 = 𝟗 × 𝒆−𝟏

𝑽 = 𝟑. 𝟑𝟐 ≈ 3.30

Which is achieved experimentally as well

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CONCLUSION
Hence it is verified experimentally that 63% charge is
there on capacitor after time constant during charging
and 63% charge is lost at time constant during
discharging.

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PRECAUTIONS

• Do all the connection carefully

• Do all the connection neat and tight

• Do not connect Led without resistance

• Keep yourself safe from high voltage

• Before doing any experiment please consult to your subject

teacher or lab assistance

BIBLIOGRAPHY
▪ Wikipedia.com

▪ Google search engine

▪ WWW.YOUTUBE.COM

▪ Physics NCERT book for class XII

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