Name: Panapasa Yaluyalulala

Id: S11198307

Lab 5: RC Circuits
Aim
Determine the time constants of the capacitors in the RC circuit by examining their charge and
release times (𝜏).

Introduction
RC circuits are created by a resistor and capacitor that are appropriately wired ( Fig.1). In the
majority of everyday electrical equipment, RC circuits charge and discharge quickly, needing a
quick estimating tool like an oscilloscope [1]. Certain RC circuits, such as those with large
influence supply, feature capacitors with incredibly high capacitances. Because these devices
take longer to charge and release, it is conceivable to utilize a slower-estimating gadget [2].

Fig 1
Capacitor devices are nonlinear devices. The capacitor's pace of charge as well as release is one
factor in calculating its charge. The capacitor builds up its charge more gradually when charging
the more charge is present on the plates [3]. That capacitor's charge will deplete more quickly
when you release it the more charge there is. Numbers are used to represent the charging
behavior as follows:
Q(t) = QMax (1-e-1/ 𝜏 )
𝜏 = RC
Where: Q(t)is the charge on the capacitor at any given time
QMax is the maximum charge the capacitor can hold
τ is the “time constant” of the circuit
According to Ohm's Law, in this simple circuit, the voltage over through the resistor is zero
whenever the current is zero. Nevertheless, because the capacitor is still in the circuit, the
battery's voltage is across it the whole length of the circuit [4].
Equipment
 1 – 80 Ω
 1 – 1k Ω
 Oscilloscope
 Connecting wire
 Toggle switch
 capacitors

Method
Part I: Charging of capacitor
The circuit was constructed on a bread board, which also carried the resistors and capacitors
needed for the experiment in addition to the pre-made circuit. Toggle switches were installed
to regulate the circuit's charging and draining. During this portion of the experiment, the
oscilloscope was utilized to view the graph and charge the capacitors. The circuit was first
coupled using a 1K capacitor and an 80 ohm load resistor, and the results were captured on
an oscilloscope.
Part II: Discharging of capacitor
A circuit box was used to build the circuit, which contained the pre-made circuit as well as
the resistors and capacitors needed for the experiment. To regulate the circuit's charging and
discharging, a toggle switch was installed. During this phase of the experiment, the
oscilloscope was used to charge the capacitors and observe the graph. First, the circuit was
connected to a load resistor of 80 and a 1K capacitor, and the oscilloscope was used to record
the results.
Part III: Analyzing oscilloscope results
The values on the graphs were then ordered after looking at the oscilloscope's results. Two
graphs were used to show the charging and discharging of capacitors of different values
when various load resistors were used. After the graphs were plotted, tau was checked for
(𝜏).
Results
The behavior of capacitor voltage (Vc) against time (t) during discharge and charge in a
circuit with 80Ω and 1kΩ resistors is depicted in the following graphs.
Part I
A] Discharge of 80Ω

Graph of discharging Capacitor with (80Ω)

12

10

8
Voltag (Vc)

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time
Fig 2

B] Discharge of 1kΩ

Graph of discharging Capacitors with 1kΩ

12

10

6
Voltage

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
-2
Time
Fig 3
Part II
A] Discharge

Graph of charging Capacitors with 80Ω

12

10

6
Voltage

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
-2
Time
Fig 5

B] Charge of 1kΩ

Graph of charging Capacitors with 1kΩ

12

10

6
Voltage

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-2
Time
Fig 6

The behavior depicted in the aforementioned graphs is highly foreseeable in light of the
hypotheses from the literature. Figures (a) and (b) in Part I illustrate how the capacitor
discharges. It is evident that the capacitor discharges more slowly with the bigger resistor (b)
than with the smaller resistor (a). Similar to this, it can be said that the capacitor may be
charged more quickly with the smaller resistor (a) than with the bigger resistor (b) when
compared the voltage behaviors of the capacitors in part II(a) and (b) during charging (b).
Being the reverse of how the capacitor voltage acts when it discharges, this behavior is to be
expected.
Calculating the value of τ.

Fig 8 ln graph of voltage against time for a 1k resistor.

Fig 9 ln voltage against time graph for 1kΩ resistors.

The capacitance value and the time constant tau(𝜏) can be determined by analyzing the slopes
of the two graphs.
Discussion
This experiment initially included two components. The power sources' resistance levels
were 1000 and 80 ohms, respectively. First, after being charged and discharged, the
oscilloscope displayed separate graphs for 80 and 1000 ohms. An 80-ohm resistance
discharged and charged faster than a 1000-ohm resistance. This might be caused by electron
migration between the circuit's positive and negative plates.
The graphs displayed a variety of features, including a nearly straight decrease for 80 ohms
and a rapid ascent for the other resistances. Power loss occurs more quickly because there are
fewer electrons when the circuit reopens. The findings of the oscilloscope for the charging
and releasing diagrams were displayed. The diagrams include tau, which is represented by
the formula y=mx+c, where m=tau (𝜏). Additionally, there were inconsistencies in the results
when charging the capacitors since the dielectrics were unable to maintain the power supply's
flow while the capacitors were being charged. Furthermore, the trial and hypothetical quality
for tau generated from the computations were near since the examination values were not
particularly exact. Mistakes were made during the examination, such as with regard to the
capacitors and the resistance of the resistors not being cautious.

Conclusion
It can be concluded that the lab's objective was attained. It was noticed how a capacitor
behaved during charging and discharging. Smaller capacitors have also been shown to work
as temporary power storage since they can store energy until a load resistor is placed to
release it. The values that were acquired for calculations were near to each other since the
results of displaying the graphs were erroneous and the slopes were close to the RC estimated
from the theoretical values. Nevertheless, despite the experiment's shortcomings, the results
can be satisfactory.

Reference
[1] D. M. Kaplan, Hands on Electronics, Cambridge University Press, 2010.
[2] L. P. Huelsman, Theory and design of active RC circuits, McGraw-Hill, 1968.
[3] L. T. Bruton, RC-Active Circuits. Theory and Design, Prentice-Hall, 1980, p. 523 pages
[4] R. Holland, Electronics and Microcomputers, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, 1996, p.