Direct Current RC Series Circuit

DC Series RC Circuit with Digital Oscilloscope DC Voltage vs. Time curve for RC circuit

Concept Overview:

1. Voltage vs. Time curve for the charge and discharge of a capacitor in series with a 9V battery and a light bulb.

2. Comparison of curves for 2 different capacitors to show the difference in time constants.

Lecturer Procedure

Step(s) to Follow	Expected Result
1. Complete the circuit by connecting the red wire to the battery.	Capacitor will begin to charge, lightbulb will get dimmer as the y-value increases:
2. After the graph has flat-lined, remove the red wire from the battery and connect it to the capacitor.	Capacitor will discharge, lightbulb will get dimmer as the y-value decreases

Step(s) to Follow

Expected Result

1. Complete the circuit by connecting the red wire to the battery.

Capacitor will begin to charge, lightbulb will get dimmer as the y-value increases:

Charge Curve

2. After the graph has flat-lined, remove the red wire from the battery and connect it to the capacitor.

Capacitor will discharge, lightbulb will get dimmer as the y-value decreases

Discharge Curve

For an added variation, a second circuit can be included for comparison to show the difference in charging and discharging curves with different capacitors.