Formula Used:
From: | To: |
Voltage across capacitance during charging refers to the potential difference that develops between the plates of a capacitor as it accumulates electric charge when connected to a voltage source through a resistor in an RC circuit.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula describes the exponential charging behavior of a capacitor in an RC circuit, where the voltage across the capacitor approaches the source voltage asymptotically.
Details: Calculating voltage across a charging capacitor is essential for understanding timing circuits, filter design, power supply smoothing, and various electronic applications where controlled charging times are required.
Tips: Enter source voltage in volts, time in seconds, resistance in ohms, and capacitance in farads. All values must be positive (time can be zero).
Q1: What is the time constant in an RC circuit?
A: The time constant (τ) is R × C seconds, representing the time it takes for the capacitor to charge to approximately 63.2% of the source voltage.
Q2: How long does it take for a capacitor to fully charge?
A: Technically, a capacitor never fully charges in an RC circuit, but after 5 time constants (5RC), it reaches about 99.3% of the source voltage.
Q3: What happens if resistance is zero?
A: With zero resistance, the capacitor would charge instantaneously, but in practice, there's always some resistance in the circuit.
Q4: Can this formula be used for discharging capacitors?
A: No, for discharging the formula is Vc = V × e^(-t/(R×C)), where V is the initial voltage.
Q5: What are typical applications of RC charging circuits?
A: RC circuits are used in timing applications, waveform generation, filters, power supply smoothing, and camera flash circuits.