Experiment no 4

Charging and Discharging of a Capacitor

OBJECTIVES:

 The aim of this lab is to show that the charging and discharging follows an exponential
function and that the time constant is RC.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:

 Digital Multimeter
 LCR Meter
 Capacitors of different values
 Resistors of different values
 Bread Board
 A set of Jumper Wires
 Oscilloscope
 Function Generator

INTRODUCTION:
Capacitors are devices that can store electric charge and energy. Capacitors have several uses,
such as filters in DC power supplies and as energy storage banks for pulsed lasers. Capacitors
pass AC current, but not DC current, so they are used to block the DC component of a signal
so that the AC component can be measured. Plasma physics makes use of the energy storing
ability of capacitors. In plasma physics short pulses of energy at extremely high voltages and
currents are frequently needed. A capacitor can be slowly charged to the necessary voltage and
then discharged quickly to provide the energy needed. It is even possible to charge several
capacitors to a certain voltage and then discharge them in such a way as to get more voltage
(but not more energy) out of the system than was put in.
This experiment features an RC circuit, which is one of the simplest circuits that uses a
capacitor. You will study this circuit and ways to change its effective capacitance by combining
capacitors in series and parallel arrangements.

CHARGING A CAPACITOR:

When a battery is connected to a series resistor and capacitor, the initial current is high as the
battery transports charge from one plate of the capacitor to the other. The charging current
asymptotically approaches zero as the capacitor becomes charged up to the battery voltage.
Charging the capacitor stores energy in the electric field between the capacitor plates. The rate
of charging is typically described in terms of a time constant RC.

38
DISCHARGING A CAPACITOR:
When a charged capacitor is connected to a resistor and Voltage source V b is disconnected ,
the charge flows out of the proportional to the voltage, and thus to the total charge present.
This exponential decay of voltage may be likened to a water tank with a small hole in the
bottom, filled with water shown by figure, in which the flow or rate of loss
of volume of water in the tank (analogous to the rate of loss of electrical
charge from the capacitor) is proportional to the pressure of the water as it
exerts itself on the hole (analogous to the voltage across the resistor). As
the pressure is proportional to the height of water in the tank, which is in
turn proportional to the total volume of water, we find that the volume of
water and the pressure exhibit exponential decay.

39
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:

PROCEDURE:

1. Make the circuit as shown in the above figure. Use R= 10 k ohm and C = 0.1 uF
(capacitor code: 104).
2. Set the input voltage to 5Vp-p square wave and f=50 Hz on function generator. Connect
this input into the circuit by connecting the positive probe to one leg of the resistor and
black probe to one leg of the capacitor.
3. Now turn on the oscilloscope and calibrate CH-1 and CH-2. Now connect the input
from the function generator to CH-1 of the oscilloscope. Connect another probe to CH-
2 of the oscilloscope and connect it across the capacitor to see the output on the
oscilloscope. Use “DUAL” vertical mode to view both the input and output. The
waveforms should look like the following: Draw the waveform displayed on the
oscilloscope on a graph sheet.
4. Repeat the above steps for two different values of capacitor and sketch the graph.

Red= square wave input

Blue= capacitor output

40
 5. Now remove the AC input from the circuit. Connect a 5V DC battery to the circuit.

6. Connect a DMM across the capacitor to measure the voltage across it. Turn on the
trainer and start the stopwatch at the same time. Keep noting the voltage displayed on
the DMM. Stop the stopwatch when the voltage across the capacitor stops changing.
This value should correspond to the time constant calculated with the help of the
following formula:
T = RC
7. Note this value as the charging time T1. Now reverse the input leads (connect the 5V
wire to ground) to make the capacitor discharge. Note the time on the stopwatch until
the capacitor discharges from Vc to 0V. This is the discharging time of the capacitor T2.

8. Change the values of resistors and capacitors and fill the following table:

No Input Calculated Voltage Charging Dis-Charging

of voltage R C time constant across time of the time of the
Obs. “Vi” τ=R*C capacitor capacitor capacitor
(volts) “Vc” “T1” “T2”
(volts) (seconds) (seconds)
1 5V 100 k ohm 22 uF

2 8V 47 k ohm 100 uF

3 12V 1M ohm 1 uF

Trace # 1

Trace # 2

Trace # 3

41
 Lab Exercise and Summary
Summary should cover Introduction, Procedure, Data Analysis and Evaluation.

42
43
Student’s Signature: ________________ Date: ________________

44
 LABORATORY SKILLS ASSESMENT (Psychomotor)

Total Marks: 100

Criteria Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Score

(Max Marks) 0% ≤ S < 50% 50% ≤ S< 70% 70% ≤ S< 90% 90%≤ S ≤100% (S)
Procedural Selects Selects and Selects and applies Selects and
Awareness inappropriate applies the appropriate applies
(20) skills and/or appropriate skills strategies and/or appropriate
strategies and/or strategies skills specific to strategies and/or
required by the required by the the task without skills specific to
task task with some significant errors the task without
errors any error
Practical Makes several Makes few Makes some non- Applies the
Implementation critical errors in critical errors in critical errors in procedural
(30) applying applying applying knowledge in
procedural procedural procedural perfect ways
knowledge knowledge knowledge
Safety Requires Requires some Follows safety Routinely follows
(10) constant reminders to procedures with safety procedures
reminders to follow safety only minimal
follow safety procedures reminders
procedures
Use of Uses tools, Uses tools, Uses tools, Uses tools,
Tool/Equipment equipment and equipment and equipment and equipment and
(20) materials with materials with materials with materials with a
limited some competence considerable high degree of
competence competence competence
Participation Shows little Demonstrates Demonstrates Actively helps to
to Achieve commitment to commitment to commitment to identify group
Group Goals group goals and group goals, but group goals and goals and works
(10) fails to perform has difficulty carries out effectively to
assigned roles performing assigned roles meet them in all
assigned roles effectively roles assumed
Interpersonal Rarely interacts Interacts with Interacts with all Interacts
Skills in positively other group group members positively with all
Group Work within a group, members if spontaneously group members
(10) even with prompted and encourages
prompting such interaction in
others

Marks Obtained

Instructor’s Signature: ________________ Date: ________________

45
 LABORATORY SKILLS ASSESMENT (Affective)
Total Marks: 40

Criteria Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Score

(Max. Marks) 0% ≤ S < 50% 50% ≤ S < 70% 70% ≤ S < 90% 90% ≤ S ≤ 100% (S)

Introduction Very little Introduction is Introduction is Introduction complete

(5) background brief with some nearly complete, and well-written;
information minor mistakes missing some minor provides all necessary
provided or points background principles
information is for the experiment
incorrect
Procedure Many stages of Many stages of The procedure could The procedure is well
(5) the procedure are the procedure be more efficiently designed and all stages
not entered on are entered on designed but most of the procedure are
the lab report. the lab report. stages of the entered on the lab
procedure are report.
entered on the lab
report.
Data Record Data is brief and Data provides Data is almost Data is complete and
(10) missing some significant complete but has relevant. Tables with
significant pieces information and some minor units are provided.
of information. has few critical mistakes. Graphs are labeled. All
mistakes. questions are answered
correctly.
Data Analysis Data is presented Data is Data is presented in Data are presented in
(10) in very unclear presented in ways (charts, tables, ways (charts, tables,
manner. Error ways (charts, graphs) that can be graphs) that best
analysis is not tables, graphs) understood and facilitate understanding
included. that are not clear interpreted. Error and interpretation.
enough. Error analysis is included. Error analysis is
analysis is included.
included.
Report Report contains Report is Report is well Report is well
Quality many errors. somewhat organized and organized and cohesive
(10) organized with cohesive but and contains no
some spelling or contains some grammatical errors.
grammatical grammatical errors. Presentation seems
errors. polished.

Marks Obtained

LABORATORY SKILLS ASSESSMENT (Cognitive)

Total Marks: 10
(If any)

Marks Obtained

Instructor’s Signature: ________________ Date: ________________

46