What is Rc circuits: Definition and 89 Discussions

A resistor–capacitor circuit (RC circuit), or RC filter or RC network, is an electric circuit composed of resistors and capacitors. It may be driven by a voltage or current source and these will produce different responses. A first order RC circuit is composed of one resistor and one capacitor and is the simplest type of RC circuit.
RC circuits can be used to filter a signal by blocking certain frequencies and passing others. The two most common RC filters are the high-pass filters and low-pass filters; band-pass filters and band-stop filters usually require RLC filters, though crude ones can be made with RC filters.

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  1. R

    Current after (1) time constant in RC circuits

    Homework Statement Maximum current: I max = 4.62 * 10^-4 A Time constant of circuit: T = 3.9 secondsHomework Equations T= RC The Attempt at a Solution I'm trying to find the current after 1 time constant. Seems simple enough, the current changes by 63%. So (Imax)-(Imax * 0.63) or...
  2. W

    Archived Charging and discharging RC circuits

    Homework Statement The RC circuit pictured below begins with capacitor C completely uncharged. I: What is the current at point A immediately after the switch closes? II:What is the current at point A 'at the end of the quaternary period' (I lol'd when he worded it like that) after the switch...
  3. I

    RC Circuits, time to charge a capacitor

    Homework Statement Switch S in the figure below is closed at time t = 0, to begin charging an initially uncharged capacitor of capacitance C = 13.0 µF through a resistor of resistance R = 24.0 . At what time is the electric potential across the capacitor equal to that across the resistor...
  4. P

    Help with RC Circuits: 3 Resistors in Series

    Homework Statement I attached the problem I don't understand why the 3 resistors at the top end up being in series for part b. can someone explain that to me. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution
  5. J

    Additivity of Time Constants in Series RC Circuits

    Does anyone know of any instance where the the time constants of two RC circuits in series is additive. It seems that when R1=R2 and tao1~tao2 this holds?
  6. K

    How Can a Capacitor be Charged to the Voltage of the Battery in an RC Circuit?

    Resistor Capacitance Circuits.Say there is a resistor before a capacitor connected in a wired circuit; and there is a battery as the emf source (10V for example). How can the capacitor be charged to approx. the voltage of the battery if the voltage drop across the resistor = the voltage of...
  7. M

    What are the practical applications of RC circuits?

    We are studying RC circuits in my physics class and I'm just curious as to what they are even for? My instructor challenged us to go find 5 uses for RC circuits and I am stumped. I can't even find any on google. Anybody know of any?
  8. J

    DC & RC Circuits: Proving Energy Distribution

    In the RC circuit shown, the resistance R, the Capacitance C, and the emf of the battery are all given quantities. The battery does not have internal resistance and the capacitor is fully charged after the switch is closed. Prove analytically that, regardless the values of R and C, exactly 50%...
  9. L

    Problem with 'simple' RC circuits

    Hey there! First post, been browsing through the forums for a little and I have found problems like this, but I still am getting the wrong answer when I try and do the things suggested. Circuit is simple, and in series. Vs = 23 V R1 = 87 Ohms C=6.1 microfarads with a switch, of course...
  10. A

    Two parallel RC circuits in series

    Hi, got a naive question (not in the electronics area) I have got two capacitors in series when being charged with a DC (I presume the resistors have negligible conductances so I assume the time constant of charging would follow that of a series capacitor circuit), like this, ---||--- (C1)...
  11. E

    What Is the Role of Displacement Current in an RC Circuit?

    In an RC circuit shown below, with the switch closed after a long time, when the capacitor is charging, there is a current across the capacitor given by Initial current x e ^ (-t/RC)... Is this current...the current supplied by capacitor to the rest of circuit, or simply the current across...
  12. R

    RC Circuits: Calculating Voltage

    I've been trying to answer the following equation but I just can't get my head around it! 'calculate the time taken 't' for the voltage over capacitor array (Vc) to reach 80% of Vo, in terms of Vo, R, C1 and C2 (caps are in parallel)' I know I need these two equations but I just don't...
  13. N

    RC Circuits and Natural Inverse Exponent function

    I was trying to figure out the relation between the equation of a discharging capacitor and the Natural Inverse Exponent function v(t) = Vo*e^(-t/rc) A*e(-Ct)+B I get that A represents the voltage and the C is the inverse of the time constant but i can't figure out what the B stands for
  14. S

    Need help finding voltage across a capacitor in an RC circuit?

    1. Homework Statement Find the voltage across a capacitor in an RC Circuit, using [V]_{}[/c] (0) = 1, [V]_{}[/i] n(t)=t. 2. Homework Equations dV/dt = (1/RC)(V)=(1/RC)([V]_{}[/in]) 3. The Attempt at a Solution New to this site: I honestly don't know where to start. Done well in...
  15. S

    RC Circuits (Differential Equations)

    Homework Statement Find the voltage across a capacitor in an RC Circuit, using [V]_{}[/c] (0) = 1, [V]_{}[/i] n(t)=t. Homework Equations dV/dt = (1/RC)(V)=(1/RC)([V]_{}[/in]) The Attempt at a Solution New to this site: I honestly don't know where to start. Done well in Calculus...
  16. K

    What is the current in each resistor in a complex RC circuit?

    Homework Statement Find the current I1 in the 1.2 resistor at the bottom of the circuit between the two power supplies. Answer in units of A. 015 (part 2 of 3) 10.0 points Determine I2. Answer in units of A. 016 (part 3 of 3) 10.0 points Determine I3. Answer in units of A...
  17. F

    Engineering Solving RC Circuits with Switch: Finding Vs(t) and Vc(t)

    Homework Statement i need to find the Vs(t) and Vc(t) http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9071/circuiten.jpg The Attempt at a Solution since there is a switch i used two cases to find the Vc one with switch on and switch off switch on...
  18. Q

    Solving RC Circuit Equation with Internal Resistance

    Homework Statement ok erm, i know how to get the equation V = EMF (1 - e^(-t/RC)) in a RC circuit but what if i had to take into account the internal resistance r of the voltmeter measuring the voltage across the capacitor? meaning now, the circuit contains a resistor R in series with, an...
  19. M

    Engineering How does the current through an inductor affect the RC circuit?

    This is for question 7.53b) . I understand that the inductor acts like a short circuit but how is the current through the inductor affected? Wont the current source (6 A) split at the node before the 4 ohm resistor and before going into the 2 ohm resistor? Also to get the Equivalent Resistor...
  20. C

    Calculating Potential Difference on A Capacitor, RC Circuits

    The circuit of Figure P.72 has been turned on for a long time, so that you can ignore the transient behavior of the capacitor. Voltage of Battery V = 31 V (e) What is the potential difference across the capacitor C (C = 9 µF)? I thought about using Kirchoff Voltage Law, but I also though that...
  21. 6

    How to calculate time constant tau for RL and RC circuits from their graph?

    I made graphs of simple RC and RL circuits. We were told to mark off at 10% of the rise and 10% away from the max. This gives a delta. We were then supposed to use this information form the graph to calculate tau, and compare it with the theoretical value. I know how to calculate the...
  22. C

    Step and Impulse Responses in RC Circuits

    Hello very body i got confused understanding how we can get the derivative of V(t) equal to Hv(t) : V= (1/R) e^(-t/RC) U(t) its derivative V' = Hv(t) = -(1/R²C)e^(-T/RC) U(t) +(1/R)&(t) where : U(t) is the unite step fonction and &(t) is the delta fonction please some help thanks for...
  23. C

    How Is Current Derived in a Series RC Circuit with an AC Source?

    can anyone show me the derivation of an expression for current in a series RC circuit with an AC source? I have seen many for DC sources simply using KVL is it the same for AC? I would imagine that a two part solution is required: 1) homogeneous solution 2)using undetermined coefficients as...
  24. P

    How Do Parallel Resistors and Capacitors Affect RC Circuit Half-Life?

    Hey Everyone, I have a question regarding physics. Say you're given an RC circuit with two identical capictors and two identical resistors and that the two resistors are connected in parallel and the two capacitors are connected in parallel and both are used in the circuit. How can you...
  25. Z

    RC Circuits: Charge/Discharge Time & Capacitors/Resistances

    In RC circuit, what is the mathematic relationship between the time of charge or dischare and the capacitors ? time of charge or discharge andn the resistances? I know that as the capacitor or the resistance is increased, the time it take to charge is also increase as well. But I am not sure...
  26. H

    Is the Time to Discharge a Capacitor Always the Same Number of Time Constants?

    Strictly speaking, the equation q=Q_0e^{-t/RC} implies that an infinite amount of time is required to discharge a capacitor completely. Yet for practical purposes, a capacitor may be considered to be fully discharged after a finite length of time. To be specific, consider a capacitor with...
  27. A

    Solve RC Circuits: Instantaneous Voltage in Capacitors

    [SOLVED] Help with RC circuits Can someone explain how to find the intantaneous value of voltage in a capacitor at any specific instant in time. I am taking a course in electronics and the textbook isn't really clear on this. I have the equation: -t/T Vc=E(1-e )...
  28. S

    RC Circuits and maximum voltage calculation

    [SOLVED] RC Circuits Homework Statement 1. I have two questions in regards to RC circuits, the first one is how to calculate the maximum voltage across a capacitor, knowing the charge on a battery and the capacitance. 2. The other question involves this circuit where the potential...
  29. M

    Using Constant Sources in RC Circuits: Parallel & Series

    Why does a constant current source need to be used in a parallel RC circuit? Why does a Constant Voltage source need to be used in a Series RC circuit?
  30. P

    RC Circuits and time constants

    RC Circuits! A capacitor in a single-loop RC circuit is charged to 63 % of its final voltage in 1.5 s. Find (a) the time constant for the circuit and (b) the percentage of the circuit's final voltage after 3.5 s. Given that V/Vo = 63%, t = 1.5 sec , Time constant =τ Now...
  31. S

    RC Circuits: Voltage as a function of time

    Homework Statement There is an RC circuit with a 6 V battery, a 100 Ohm resistor, and 2.0 microFarad capacitor. At time t = 0, the switch is closed. While this happens, an ammeter measures the current through the resistor. At t = 0.000139 s the ammeter finds that 0.030 A is flowing through...
  32. L

    How do Resistors and Capacitors behave in parallel circuits?

    I get very confused when you have circuits involving Capacitors and Resistors Especially the concept of current traveling through the path of least resistance 1) Let's say you have a circuit with a battery... with a resistor in parallel first, then a capacitor in parallel to the...
  33. J

    Does the R vs. tau Graph in RC Circuits Always Pass Through the Origin?

    Homework Statement In an RC circuit, should a graph of R vs. tau necessarily go through the origin? What does a non-zero intercept indicate? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution My graphs look like they go through the origin, and from the equation tau = RC, I would...
  34. J

    RC Circuits - Why Does the Graph of R vs. tau Pass Through the Origin?

    I'm working on an RC circuit lab and I can't figure out if my graph of R vs. tau is supposed to go through the origin. According to the equation tau = RC, it seems like the graph definitely should pass through the origin. However, given the definition of tau as the time constant equal to the...
  35. M

    Do RC Circuits Stop Current Flow Through Capacitors Initially?

    While working on an example in my Circuit Analysis textbook, I came upon the following circuit: A 9v battery is connected to a resistor R1 (this is the left loop of the circuit). It is also connected to a resistor R2 and a capacitor C1 that are in series (that is the right loop). The authors...
  36. T

    Time constants, resistance and RC circuits

    I just need some help understanding some of the theory behind these.. Can anybody help explain the relevance of a time constant in an RC circuit and why the time constant increases as resistance increases? Thanks in advance:blushing:
  37. M

    Ow long does it take for the charge to build up to 9.0 µC? RC circuits

    Hello everyone, I almost got all the parts to this problem: In an RC series circuit, = 11.0 V, R = 1.10 M, and C = 1.80 µF. (a) Calculate the time constant. 1.98 s (b) Find the maximum charge that will appear on the capacitor during charging. 19.8 µC (c) How long does it...
  38. D

    How Do I Calculate Theoretical Charge and Discharge Times in RC Circuits?

    I've been set the following assignment on RC circuits that I thought I understood. Turns out I don't: http://www.geocities.com/danielessex/images/electronicsmain.jpg I understand what is happening in the circuit and what it is asking me to do but I don't really know how to go about it...
  39. N

    RC Circuits Lab: Get Help Understanding Charges & Discharges

    I am doing a lab on RC circuits and I do not understand anything about it. In the lab, I charged an discharged a capacitor. The voltage decreased with the equation V=Voe^(-t/RC) Can you explain me this lab? Thanks
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