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RC Circuits
Gerald Reed @02662214

Partners: Charise Hardiman Tretitia Hobbs Maham Roian C

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Objective of the Experiment Collect voltage-time data for a capacitor in a RC circuit and curve fit the data. Calculate the capacitance of the capacitor in a RC circuit. Develop a mental image of what is happening to electrons during an RC circuit charging cycle. Prove addition Law for capacitors in parallel and series. Theory An RC circuit consists of a resistor and a capacitor wired in series. In most common electronic devices, RC circuits charge and discharge very quickly, requiring a fast measuring device such as an oscilloscope. Some RC circuits, like those in power supplies, have capacitors with very large capacitances. These require much longer to charge and discharge, making it possible to use a slower measuring device. We will use interface boxes attached to the lab PCs and the appropriate data monitoring program to make the voltage measurements. We will then analyze the data using a spread sheet. Capacitors are nonlinear devices; the rate at which they charge and discharge is a function of the amount of charge on the capacitor. When charging, the larger the amount of charge on the capacitor plates the slower it will increase its charge. When discharging, the more charge on the capacitor, the faster the charge will decrease. The mathematical representation that describes the charging behavior is Q(t)=Qmax(l-e-l/t) and t=RC Materials

PASCO Science Workshop computer interface RC Circuit Board Pasco Voltage Sensor w/ alligator clip leads Voltmeter Low Voltage Power Supply

Procedures A: Measure Capacitor 1 1. Set the Battery/External power switch on the RC Circuit Board to external 2. Set the Charge/Discharge switch on the RC Circuit board to discharge 3. Connect a wire between points A and B on the RC circuit board 4. Connect the red lead of a computer interface voltage probe to the positive side of the capacitor at position #6 B: Measure Capacitor 2 1. Repeat above except for Step 4: remove jumper/wire from point A and B, connect capacitor 2 between point C and B. Also leave voltage probe red lead at #6 and black #4 C: Measure Capacitors in Series 1. Repeat above except for Step 4: remove jumper/wire from points A to B connect capacitor 2 between point A and B. Voltage probe red lead to #6 and black lead to #4. D: Measure Capacitors in parallel 1. Repeat above except for Step 4: place jumper/wire from points A to B, connect capacitor 2 between point C to A. Leave voltage probe red to #6 and black lead to #5

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Calculations

Capacitor 1 Cexp 2 Cexp Capacitor 1 Cexp 2 Cexp

Capacitance Actual 5.92E-07 C 1.13E+02 Cs 5.86E-07 C 1.14E+02 Cp Experimental 1.19E-06 Cs 5.60E+01 % error 2.93E-07 Cp 2.28E+02 % error

5.66E+01 2.26E+02

1.008403 -0.50934

Conclusion We have measure the charge and discharge of an RC combination. As expected the charge/discharge voltage is exponential in time, with a time constant of RC. Capacitors connected in parallel have the sum of the individual capacitance. An acceptable range of error was observed. Percent error in this lab raised no higher than 2 percent. The sources of error that caused some deviation from the measured values was due to the presence of the meters themselves and the variant capacitance that might be from mechanical or technical error. However, it adequately showed that the relationship to the configuration of resistors highly contributes to the power consumption. Lastly, the data demonstrated how RC circuits are a highly influential aspect to understanding the relationships between capacitance, capacitors, and resistance.