Analyze capacitor charging and discharging behavior in RC circuits. Calculate time constants, voltage curves, energy storage, and visualize exponential responses.
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A capacitor stores electrical energy in an electric field. When charging through a resistor, the voltage follows an exponential curve governed by the time constant τ = RC.
The time constant τ = RC determines how quickly a capacitor charges or discharges:
Enter the supply voltage, resistance, and capacitance values. Select the time point and click Calculate to see the voltage across the capacitor at that instant.
A 100μF capacitor charging through 10kΩ to 12V: τ = 10000 × 0.0001 = 1 second. At t=1s: V = 12 × (1 - e⁻¹) = 7.58V.
A: τ = R × C in seconds. After 1τ, a capacitor charges to ~63.2% of supply voltage. After 5τ, it is considered fully charged (99.3%).
A: Practically, a capacitor is considered fully charged after 5 time constants (5τ = 5 × R × C seconds).
A: No more current flows. The capacitor acts as an open circuit in DC steady state.
A: No. Without resistance, charging would be theoretically instantaneous but infinite current would flow, damaging the circuit.