• Objectives:

1. determine & measure RC time conctant ( τ ).

2. to be familiar with the structure of the capacitor & it's
properties.
3. to be familiar with the circuits containing capacitors &
resistors.
4. to see the behavior of the capacitors in the charging &
discharging processes.
5. to find the equivalent capacitance by the time constant
concept.

• Equipment:

1. Digital multimeter DMM.

2. Wires.
3. special Bread board with integrated circuit.
4. DC power supply
5. stop watch.
6. capacitors.

• Contents:

1. Charging the capacitor.

2. Discharging the capacitor.
3. Effective capacitance in series.
4. Effective capacitance in parallel.

• Theory:

 There are two type of capacitors polarity & unpolarity

capacitors which is usually small, &the polarity capacitors must
connected in the correct polarity or they will exploded.
 The mutual realation between the charge, capacitance, & the
voltage of the capacitor is V = Q/C.
 In the charging process the voltage across the capacitor is
Vc(t) = Vsource (1- e-t/RC ), & the current in the capacitor is
i(t) = Imax * e-t/RC, where Imax = Vsource / R.
 in the discharging process the voltage across the capacitor is
Vc(t) = Vsource * e-t/RC , & the current in the capacitor is i(t)
= Imax * e-t/RC.

1
  The total capacitance in the parallel connections is
CT = C1+C2+…+Cn.
 The total capacitance in the series connections is
(1/CT)= (1/C1)+(1/C2)+…+(1/Cn).
 The time constant of any circuit is constant in the charging &
discharging processes & τ =RC.
 We see that the effective value of the capacitors in series
connection is the same as the effective value of the parallel
connection in the resistors &the capacitors in parallel is the
same as the resistors in series.

• Calculation & data analysis:

• Charging the capacior:

We connect the circuit shown in figure 5.1 & read the voltage at the
specified times and fill the table 5.1 & then plot the voltage & the current
versus time in figure 5.2 & 5.3 respectively, and we see that the value of
the voltage on the capacitor is 63% of the source value at t = τ, & the
current is 36% of the max current at the same time.

Number of Measured quantity

time Charging Measured Calculated Calculated
constants time (s) voltage (v) voltage (v) current (μA)
0.5 5.875 12.2 13.771 45.1683
1 11.75 20.4 22.124 27.396
1.5 17.625 28.1 27.193 16.6165
2 23.5 29.8 30.26 10.078
2.5 29.375 31 32.13 6.113
3 35.25 31.7 33.257 3.707
3.5 41.125 32.2 33.943 2.249
4 47 32.5 34.359 1.364
4.5 52.875 32.7 34.611 0.8273
5 58.75 33.2 34.764 0.502
Table 5.1

Vc(t) = Vsource (1- e-t/RC )

V0.5 = 35* (1- e-05.875/11.75 ) = 13.771 v
V1.0 = 35* (1- e-11.750/11.75 ) = 22.124 v
V1.5 = 35* (1- e-17.625/11.75 ) = 27.193 v
V2.0 = 35* (1- e-23.500/11.75 ) = 30.260 v
V2.5 = 35* (1- e-29.375/11.75 ) = 32.130 v
2
V3.0 = 35* (1- e-35.250/11.75 ) = 33.257 v
V3.5 = 35* (1- e-41.125/11.75 ) = 33.943 v
V4.0 = 35* (1- e-47.000/11.75 ) = 34.359 v
V4.5 = 35* (1- e-52.875/11.75 ) = 34.611 v
V5.0 = 35* (1- e-58.750/11.75 ) = 34.764 v

Imax = Vsource / R = 35/47000 = 74.47 μA

i(t) = Imax * e-t/RC

i0.5 = 74.47 * (e-05.875/11.75) = 45.168 μA
i1.0 = 74.47 * (e-11.750/11.75) = 27.396 μA
i1.5 = 74.47 * (e-17.625/11.75) = 16.616 μA
i2.0 = 74.47 * (e-23.500/11.75) = 10.078 μA
i2.5 = 74.47 * (e-29.375/11.75) = 06.113 μA
i3.0 = 74.47 * (e-35.250/11.75) = 03.707 μA
i3.5 = 74.47 * (e-41.125/11.75) = 02.249 μA
i4.0 = 74.47 * (e-47.000/11.75) = 01.364 μA
i4.5 = 74.47 * (e-52.875/11.75) = 00.827 μA
i5.0 = 74.47 * (e-58.750/11.75) = 00.502 μA

• Discharging the capacitor:

We connect the circuit shown in figure 5.4 after the capacitor becomes
fully charge and take some reading fo full the table 5.2 and then plot the
voltage & the current versus time in figure 5.5 & 5.6 respectively, and we
see that the value of the voltage on the capacitor is 36% of the source
value at t = τ, & the current is 36% of the max current at the same time.

Number of Measured quantity

time Discharging Measured Calculated Calculated
constants time (s) voltage (v) voltage (v) current (μA)
0.5 5.875 19.1 21.228 45.1683
1 11.75 11.4 12.876 27.396
1.5 17.625 6.9 7.81 16.6165
2 23.5 4.4 4.737 10.078
2.5 29.375 2.7 2.873 6.113
3 35.25 1.7 1.743 3.707
3.5 41.125 1.1 1.057 2.249
4 47 0.6 0.641 1.364

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4.5 52.875 0.4 0.388 0.8273
5 58.75 0.3 0.236 0.502
Table 5.2

Vc(t) = Vsource (e-t/RC )

V0.5 = 35* (e-05.875/11.75 ) = 21.228 v
V1.0 = 35* (e-11.750/11.75 ) = 12.876 v
V1.5 = 35* (e-17.625/11.75 ) = 7.8100 v
V2.0 = 35* (e-23.500/11.75 ) = 4.737 v
V2.5 = 35* (e-29.375/11.75 ) = 2.873 v
V3.0 = 35* (e-35.250/11.75 ) = 1.734 v
V3.5 = 35* (e-41.125/11.75 ) = 1.057 v
V4.0 = 35* (e-47.000/11.75 ) = 0.641 v
V4.5 = 35* (e-52.875/11.75 ) = 0.388 v
V5.0 = 35* (e-58.750/11.75 ) = 0.236 v

i(t) = Imax * e-t/RC

i0.5 = 74.47 * (e-05.875/11.75) = 45.168 μA

i1.0 = 74.47 * (e-11.750/11.75) = 27.396 μA
i1.5 = 74.47 * (e-17.625/11.75) = 16.616 μA
i2.0 = 74.47 * (e-23.500/11.75) = 10.078 μA
i2.5 = 74.47 * (e-29.375/11.75) = 06.113 μA
i3.0 = 74.47 * (e-35.250/11.75) = 03.707 μA
i3.5 = 74.47 * (e-41.125/11.75) = 02.249 μA
i4.0 = 74.47 * (e-47.000/11.75) = 01.364 μA
i4.5 = 74.47 * (e-52.875/11.75) = 00.827 μA
i5.0 = 74.47 * (e-58.750/11.75) = 00.502 μA

• Effective capacitance in series connection:

We connect the circuit shown in figure 5.7 and we close the switch and
start the stop watch and see the time that Vm=22.12v wich is 0.63% of
Vs then the time will equal to τ, and τ = RC then we find the total C.

C1 (μF) C2 (μF) Calculated Time Measured

effective constant (s) effective
capacitance capacitance
(μF) (μF)
25μF 25μF 12.5μF 6s 12.77μF
Table 5.3
4
CT (theoretically) = (C1*C2)/ (C1+C2) = 25*25/50 = 12.5 μF
τ = RC, 6 = 470000*CT, CT = 12.77 μF
Percentage error = (12.77-12.5)/12.5 = 2.2%

• Effective capacitance in parallel connection:

We connect the circuit shown in figure 5.8 and we close the switch and
start the stop watch and see the time that Vm=22.12v wich is 0.63% of
Vs then the time will equal to τ, and τ = RC then we find the total C.

C1 (μF) C2 (μF) Calculated Time Measured

effective constant (s) effective
capacitance capacitance
(μF) (μF)
25μF 25μF 50μF 24 s 51.1μF
Table5.4

CT (theoretically) = (C1+C2) = 25+25 = 50 μF

τ = RC, 24 = 470000*CT, CT = 51.1 μF
Percentage error = (51.1-50)/50 = 2.2%

• Conclusions:

1. we see that τ is constant for the same circuit in the charging

& discharging process.
2. We see that the effective value of the capacitors in series
connection is the same as the effective value of the parallel
connection in the resistors &the capacitors in parallel is the
same as the resistors in series.
3. we see that the value of the voltage across the capacitor will
be approximately the same as the source value after (5τ)s in
the charging process & will be approximately zero in the
discharging process after the same time.
4. we see that the value of the current across the capacitor will
be approximately zero after (5τ)s in the charging & in the
discharging process.
5. we see that in the charging process the value of the voltage
on the capacitor is 63% of the source value, & the current is
36% of the max current at t = τ , & in the discharging
process the value of the voltage on the capacitor is 36% of
the source value, & the current is 36% of the max current at
the same time
5
• Circuit connection & simulation:

Figure5.1

Figure5.2

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 Figure5.3

Figure5.4

7
Figure5.5

Figure5.6

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Figure5.7