RC Charging Circuit Tutorial & RC Time Constant

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Electronics Tutorial about the RC Time Constant

RC Charging Circuit

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The Time Constant

-ll .lectrical or .lectronic circuits or s/stems su))er )rom some )orm o) 0time,dela/0 #et'een its input and output1 'hen a signal or %oltage1 either continuous1 2 3C 4 or alternating 2 -C 4 is )irstl/ applied to it5 This dela/ is generall/ kno'n as the time ela! or Time Constant o) the circuit and it is the time response o) the circuit 'hen a step %oltage or signal is )irstl/ applied5 The resultant time constant o) an/ circuit or s/stem 'ill mainl/ depend upon the reacti%e components either capaciti%e or inducti%e connected to it and is a measurement o) the response time 'ith units o)1 Tau " 6

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When an increasing 3C %oltage is applied to a discharged Ca#acitor the capacitor dra's a charging current and 0charges up01 and 'hen the %oltage is reduced1 the capacitor discharges in the opposite direction5 Because capacitors are a#le to store electrical energ/ the/ act like small #atteries and can store or release the energ/ as re7uired5 The charge on the plates o) the capacitor is gi%en as* 8 9 C:5 This charging 2storage4 and discharging 2release4 o) a capacitors energ/ is ne%er instant #ut takes a certain amount o) time to occur 'ith the time taken )or the capacitor to charge or discharge to 'ithin a certain percentage o) its ma&imum suppl/ %alue #eing kno'n as its Time Constant 2 6 45 I) a resistor is connected in series 'ith the capacitor )orming an RC circuit1 the capacitor 'ill charge up graduall/ through the resistor until the %oltage across the capacitor reaches that o) the suppl/ %oltage5 The time called the transient response1 re7uired )or this to occur is e7ui%alent to a#out $ time constants or

3C Theor/1 B. +C-TC Best Price D 5B; or Bu/ +e' D "5EE

Pri%ac/ In)ormation

!T5 This transient response time T1 is measured in terms o)6 9 R & C1 in seconds1 'here R is the %alue o) the resistor in ohms and C is the %alue o) the capacitor in $arads5 This then )orms the #asis o) an RC charging circuit 'ere !T can also #e thought o) as 0! & RC05

RC Charging Circuit
The )igure #elo' sho's a capacitor1 2 C 4 in series 'ith a resistor1 2 R 4 )orming a RC Charging Circuit connected across a 3C #atter/ suppl/ 2 :s 4 %ia a mechanical s'itch5 When the s'itch is closed1 the capacitor 'ill graduall/ charge up through the resistor until the %oltage across it reaches the suppl/ %oltage o) the #atter/5 The manner in 'hich the capacitor charges up is also sho'n #elo'5

RC Charging Circuit

Let us assume a#o%e1 that the capacitor1 C is )ull/ 0discharged0 and the s'itch 2S4 is )ull/ open5 These are the initial conditions o) the circuit1 then t 9 ;1i 9 ; and 7 9 ;5 When the s'itch is closed the time #egins att 9 ; and current #egins to )lo' into the capacitor %ia the resistor5 Since the initial %oltage across the capacitor is <ero1 2 :c 9 ; 4 the capacitor appears to #e a short circuit and the ma&imum current )lo's through the circuit restricted onl/ #/ the resistor R5 Then #/ using =ircho))>s %oltage la' 2=:L41 the %oltage drops around the circuit are gi%en as*

The current no )lo'ing around the circuit is called the Charging Currentand is )ound #/ using ?hms la' as* i 9 :R@R5

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22.11.2012

RC Charging Circuit Tutorial & RC Time Constant

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RC Charging Curves

The capacitor now starts to charge up as shown, with the rise in the RC charging curve steeper at the beginning because the charging rate is fastest at the start and then tapers off as the capacitor takes on additional charge at a slower rate. As the capacitor charges up, the potential difference across its plates slowly increases with the actual time taken for the charge on the capacitor to reach 63 of its ma!imum possible voltage, in our curve ".63#s being known as one Time Constant, $ T %. This".63#s voltage point is given the abbreviation of &T. The capacitor continues charging up and the voltage difference between #s and#c reduces, so to does the circuit current, i. Then at its final condition greater than five time constants $ 'T % when the capacitor is said to be fully charged,t ( ), i ( ",* ( + ( C#. Then at infinity the current diminishes to ,ero, the capacitor acts like an open circuit condition therefore, the voltage drop is entirely across the capacitor. -o mathematically we can say that the time re*uired for a capacitor to charge up to one time constant is given as.

/here, R is in 01s and C in 2arads. -ince voltage # is related to charge on a capacitor given by the e*uation,#c ( +3C, the voltage across the value of the voltage across the capacitor, $ #c % at any instant in time during the charging period is given as.

/here. #c is the voltage across the capacitor

http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/rc/rc 1.html

22.11.2012

RC Charging Circuit Tutorial & RC Time Constant

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Vs is the supply voltage t is the elapsed time since the application of the supply voltage RC is the time constant of the RC charging circuit
After a period equivalent to time constants! " # $ the capacitor in this RC charging circuit is virtually fully charged and the voltage across the capacitor is no% appro& ''( of its ma&imum value! )*''Vs* #he time period ta+en for the capacitor to reach this #point is +no%n as the Transient Period* After a time of ,# the capacitor is no% fully charged and the voltage across the capacitor! " Vc $ is equal to the supply voltage! " Vs $* As the capacitor is fully charged no more current flo%s in the circuit* #he time period after this ,# point is +no%n as the Steady State Period* As the voltage across the capacitor Vc changes %ith time! and is a different value at each time constant up to ,#! %e can calculate this value of capacitor voltage! Vc at any given point! for e&ample*

Example No1
Calculate the time constant of the follo%ing circuit* #he time constant - is found using the formula # . R & C in seconds* #herefore the time constant - is:

# . R & C . /+ & 1)))u0 . / 1ecs

a$ What value will be the voltage across the capacitor at 0. time constants!
At )*/ time constants " )*/# $ Vc . )*,Vs* #herefore! Vc . )*, & ,V . 2*,V

2$ What value will be the voltage across the capacitor at 1 time constant!
At 1 time constant " 1# $ Vc . )*33Vs* #herefore! Vc . )*33 & ,V . 3*1,V

c$ "ow long will it ta#e to $%ully charge$ the capacitor!

#he capacitor %ill 2e fully charged at , time constants* 1 time constant " 1# $ . / seconds! "from a2ove$* #herefore! ,# . , & / . 23, secs

d$ The voltage across the &apacitor a%ter 100 seconds!

#he voltage formula is given as Vc . V"1 4 e4tARC$ %hich equals: Vc . ,"14e41))A /$ RC . / seconds from a2ove! #herefore! Vc . * volts

5e have seen that the charge on a capacitor is given 2y the e&pression: 6 . CV and that %hen a voltage is firstly applied to the plates of the capacitor it charges up at a rate determined 2y its time constant! -*7n the ne&t tutorial %e %ill e&amine the current4voltage relationship of a discharging capacitor and loo+ at the curves associated %ith it %hen the capacitors plates are shorted together*

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