11.6 RC Circuits

• What does the term "RC circuit" refer to?

  Resistor-capacitor circuit
• Discharging a capacitor in an RC circuit involves the release of stored charge back into the circuit.


  True
• Match the process with its effect on voltage and current in an RC circuit:

  Charging ↔️ Voltage increases, current decreases

  Discharging ↔️ Voltage decreases, current decreases
• During capacitor charging, the voltage increases exponentially towards the source voltage.
• During charging, the current decreases from Vs/R to 0.

  True
• RC circuits are important for timing circuits, power supplies, and signal filtering.
• What is the primary role of a resistor in an RC circuit?

  Impedes current flow
• What determines the rate of charging and discharging in an RC circuit?

  Time constant (τ)
• Arrange the key parameters of the charging process in an RC circuit:

  1️⃣ Voltage increases from 0 to Vs

  2️⃣ Current decreases from Vs/R to 0

  3️⃣ Time constant (τ) = RC
• After one time constant, the capacitor voltage reaches 63.2% of the source voltage in a charging RC circuit


  True
• After one time constant, the voltage across a discharging capacitor drops to approximately 36.8% of its initial value

  True
• How does the capacitor voltage change during charging in an RC circuit?

  Increases from 0 to Vs
• What is the primary function of a resistor in an RC circuit?

  Controls current flow
• After one time constant, the capacitor voltage reaches 63.2% of the source voltage during charging


  True
• After one time constant (τ = RC), what percentage of its initial value does the capacitor voltage drop to during discharging?

  36.8%
• During the charging process, what happens to the capacitor voltage?

  Increases to Vs
• A low time constant (τ) in an RC circuit results in slower charging and discharging speeds.

  False
• Calculate the capacitor voltage at t = 0.5 seconds for a 500 μF capacitor charging through a 2000 Ω resistor from a 10V source.

  3.93 volts
• Resistors in RC circuits control current flow and dissipate electrical energy as heat
• A capacitor in an RC circuit stores electrical energy
• The time constant in an RC circuit is the product of resistance and capacitance
• The time constant in an RC circuit is defined as RC
• The capacitor voltage during charging is described by the equation Vc(t) = Vs(1 - e-t/RC)
• What happens to the voltage across a capacitor during discharge?

  Decreases exponentially
• Charging a capacitor in an RC circuit involves the buildup of charge on its plates.


  True
• The equations for charging and discharging describe how voltage and current change over time
• What are the key applications of RC circuits?

  Timing, power, filtering
• Arrange the charging and discharging processes in terms of their voltage change:

  1️⃣ Charging: Increases from 0 to Vs

  2️⃣ Discharging: Decreases from Vs to 0
• What is the current flow during capacitor charging in an RC circuit?

  Decreases from Vs/R to 0
• The time constant (τ) in an RC circuit is the product of resistance (R) and capacitance (C).


  True
• How does a resistor manage energy in an RC circuit?

  Dissipates energy as heat
• The time constant (τ) in an RC circuit is the product of resistance (R) and capacitance
• When a capacitor discharges through a resistor, the voltage across the capacitor decreases exponentially
• Match the function of each component in an RC circuit:

  Resistor ↔️ Controls current flow

  Capacitor ↔️ Stores electrical energy
• When a voltage source is removed from an RC circuit, the capacitor discharges exponentially


  True
• What is the primary function of a capacitor in an RC circuit?

  Stores electrical energy
• Match the process with its corresponding change in voltage:

  Charging ↔️ Increases from 0 to Vs

  Discharging ↔️ Decreases from Vs to 0
• The time constant (τ) in an RC circuit is equal to the product of resistance (R) and capacitance (C).


  True
• What does a larger time constant (τ) indicate about the charging or discharging process in an RC circuit?

  Slower charging/discharging
• The equation for capacitor voltage during discharging is Vc(t) = V0e^(-t/RC)