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CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF A CAPACITOR Final - 1

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39 views7 pages

CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF A CAPACITOR Final - 1

Uploaded by

brucewayne.07690
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF A CAPACITOR

AIM:
• To verify the charge is stored in a capacitor in a
circuit, even when a battery is disconnected.

APPARATUS REQUIRED:
• Capacitor
• Resistor
• 9V Battery
• 2 LED Lights
• 2 Switches
• Cardboard
• Circuit Diagram
• Wires
THEORY:
Capacitance:
It is the ability of a capacitor to store energy in the form
of electric charge. It is measured in Farads(F)
Capacitor:
It is a device in which charges can be stored.
Combination of two conductors places close to each other
separated by insulator used for storing electric charge and
electrical energy.
Charging of Capacitors:
When a capacitor is connected to a power supply,it
stores charge. The voltage across its terminals increases as its
accumulates charge.
Discharging of Capacitors:
When the power supply is removed and the capacitor is
connected across a Resistor, it releases its stored energy and the
voltage decreases as it discharges.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:
PROCEDURE:
Charging a Capacitor:
1. Connect the capacitor to a voltage source through resistor.
2. Initially, the capacitor is uncharged, so current flows freely.
3. As the capacitor charges, the voltage across it increases,
and the current decreases exponentially
4. Once fully charged, the capacitor holds maximum charge
and the voltage across it equals the source voltage.
Discharging a Capacitor:
1. Disconnect the capacitor from the voltage source.
2. Connect the capacitor to a resistor forming a closed loop.
3. Initially, the capacitor holds a certain charge and voltage.
4. As it discharges, the stored energy is released through the
resistor, causing the voltage across the capacitor to decrease
exponentially.
5. Eventually, the capacitor discharges fully and the voltage
across it becomes zero.
FORMULAS:
Charging a Capacitor:
When a capacitor is connected to a direct current (DC) power
source, it begins to store energy in the electric field between its
plates. The process of charging a capacitor can be described in
several steps:

1. Circuit Setup: Connect the capacitor in series with a resistor


and a DC power supply (like a battery). The resistor controls
the charging rate.
2. Initial Condition: At the moment the circuit is closed (switch
is turned on), the voltage across the capacitor is zero, and the
voltage across the resistor is equal to the battery voltage V0
3. Current Flow: Current begins to flow, and electrons start
accumulating on one plate of the capacitor, creating a
potential difference across it. This induces a corresponding
positive charge on the other plate.
4. Exponential Charging: The voltage across the capacitor VC
increases exponentially, following the equation:

where:

o VC(t) is the voltage across the capacitor at time ttt.


o V0 is the supply voltage.
o R is the resistance.
o C is the capacitance.
5. Final Condition: When the capacitor is fully charged, the
voltage across it equals the supply voltage V0. The current in
the circuit drops to zero, as no more charge flows.

Discharging a Capacitor:
When a charged capacitor is disconnected from the power supply
and connected across a resistor, it releases its stored energy. The
discharging process involves these steps:
1. Circuit Setup: Disconnect the capacitor from the power
supply and connect it across a resistor. This setup allows the
stored charge to flow through the resistor.
2. Initial Condition: At the beginning, the voltage across the
capacitor is equal to the initial charging voltage V0.
3. Current Flow: Current starts to flow through the resistor,
and the capacitor begins to lose its charge.
4. Exponential Discharging: The voltage across the capacitor
decreases exponentially, described by:
5. Final condition: The voltage across the capacitor approaches
zero as time goes on, and the current in the circuit also drops
to zero

where:

o VC(t) is the voltage across the capacitor at time ttt.


o V0 is the initial voltage.
o R is the resistance.
o C is the capacitance.
Key Points:
• Time: The product of resistance R and capacitance C gives the
time constant τ=RC. This constant characterizes the rate at
which the capacitor charges or discharges. After a time period
equal to τ, the voltage across the capacitor reaches
approximately 63% of its final value during charging, or 37%
of its initial value during discharging.
• Exponential Nature: Both charging and discharging processes
are exponential. This means they are rapid initially but slow
down as they approach their final state.
• Practical Applications: Understanding these processes is
essential for designing and analyzing circuits in electronics,
especially in timing applications like in RC timers, filters, and
pulse circuits

RESULTS:
During Charging:
1.Voltage across the capacitor starts from zero and increases
exponentially towards the source voltage.
2.Current decreases exponentially as the capacitor charges.
3.Eventually, the voltage across the capacitor equals the
source voltage, and the current becomes zero.
After Discharging:
1.Voltage across the capacitor starts from its initial value and
decreases exponentially towards zero.
2.Current flows in the opposite direction as the capacitor
discharges.
3.Eventually, the voltage across the capacitor becomes zero,
and the current stops flowing.

CONCLUSION:
Understanding the behavior of capacitors and visual
behaviour of LEDs during charging and discharging is crucial for
designing circuits, analyzing transient responses, and predicting
the behavior of electrical systems. These processes are governed
by fundamental principles of electricity and play a vital role in
various applications, including energy storage, signal processing,
and power management.
The concepts of charging and discharging capacitors
illustrate the dynamic behavior of capacitors in circuits,
highlighting the importance of time constants and exponential
functions in describing transient responses in electrical systems.
The processes of charging and discharging a capacitor are
fundamental phenomena in the study of electronics and electrical
engineering, governed by simple but powerful exponential laws.

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