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RC Circuits: Charging a Capacitor

Chart the voltage across a charging capacitor and fit the exponential curve to find the time constant.

Grade 12ExperimentScience OlympiadScienceEngineeringElectricityPhysicsData AnalysisAdvanced1.2 to 1.8 hr7 materialsAdult supervision required

What you'll learn

  • Explain how a capacitor stores charge
  • Fit an exponential curve to data
  • Compare a measured time constant with RC

Objective

Measure how the voltage across a capacitor rises over time, fit V = V0 (1 minus e to the power minus t over RC), and compare the time constant with R times C.

STEM concepts

CapacitanceTime constantExponential growth to a limitCharge and current
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Materials and safety
Step-by-step instructions
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Why does it work, challenge and project report

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