1

BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL

PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

SUBMITTED TO:
K VASEEMUL RAHAMAN
SUBMITTED BY:
HIMANSHU KUMAR
ROLL NO: 1212

SESSION 2023-2024
 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. K Vaseemul Rahaman Sir

for his tremendous support and assistance in the completion of my project.

I would also like to thank our Principal Mr. Kuldeep Singh Sir,

for providing me with this wonderful opportunity to work on a project with the

topic Charging and Discharging of two Capacitors

The completion of the project would not have been possible without their help

and insights.
 3

CERTIFICATE

This is to Certify that Himanshu Kumar of class XII "A' of BAL BHARATI

PUBLIC SCHOOL has successfully completed the Physics Investigatory

project on the topic “Charging and Discharging of a capacitor” as prescribed

by the CBSE Board for the Academic Year 2023-2024. It is further certified that

the project is Individual Work of the Candidate.

INDEX

SR NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 5

2 AIM 8

3 THEORY 9

4 APPARATUS 13

5 PROCEDURE 14

6 OBSERVATION 16

7 GRAPH 17

7 CALCULATION 18

8 CONCLUSION 19

9 RESULT 20

10 PRECAUTIONS 21

11 BIBLIOGRAPHY 22
 5

INTRODUCTION

An R-C circuit is a circuit containing a resistor and capacitor in series to a

power source. Such circuits Find very important applications in various areas of

science and in basic circuits which act as building blocks of modern

technological devices.

It should be really helpful if we get comfortable with the terminologies charging

and discharging of capacitors.

1. Charging of Capacitor: -

A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy

in an electric field. In the hydraulic analogy, charge carriers lowing through a

wire are analogous to water flowing through a pipe. A capacitor is like a rubber

membrane sealed inside a pipe. Water molecules cannot pass through the

membrane, but some water can move by stretching the membrane. The analogy

clarifies a few aspects of capacitors:

▪ The low of current alters the charge on a capacitor, just as the low of water

changes the position of the membrane. More specifically, the effect of an

electric current is to increase the charge of one plate of the capacitor, and

decrease the charge of the other plate by an equal amount. This is just like how,

when water low moves the rubber membrane, it increases the amount of water
 6

on one side of the membrane, and decreases the amount of water on the other

side.

▪ The more a capacitor is charged, the larger its voltage drop; i.e., the more it

"pushes back" against the charging current. This is analogous to the fact that the

more a membrane is stretched, the more it pushes back on the water.

▪ Current can low "through" a capacitor even though no individual electron can

get from one side to the other. This is analogous to the fact that water can low

through the pipe even though no water molecule can pass through the rubber

membrane. Of course, the low cannot continue the same direction forever; the

capacitor will experience dielectric breakdown, and analogously the membrane

will eventually break.

▪ The capacitance describes how much charge can be stored on one plate of a

capacitor for a given "push" (voltage drop). A very stretchy, flexible membrane

corresponds to a higher capacitance than a stiff membrane.

▪ A charged-up capacitor is storing potential energy, analogously to a stretched

membrane.

2. Discharging of Capacitor: -

Using hydraulic analogy only we can understand that when the capacitor is

charged the membrane is stretched, but now if you allow the water to come out
 7

slowly and let the membrane relax, then it is called discharging of capacitor. In

other words, when the charge on each of the plates becomes zero and the

potential difference across its terminals drops to zero.

AIM

To verify that 63% charge is stored in a capacitor in a R-C circuit at its time constant and 63% charge

remains when capacitor is discharged and hence plot a graph between voltage and time
 9

THEORY

When a capacitor of capacitance C is connected in series with a resistor of

resistance R and then connected to a battery of EMF E it gets charged but since

some resistance has been introduced, this charging process takes some time and

hence the potential difference between the plates of the capacitor varies as an

exponential function of time, i.e.

The circuit diagram for this experiment is given below: -

Applying KIRCHHOFF’S LAW in the above circuit during charging i.e.

Capacitor is connected to battery E - VC – IR = 0 …………………………(i)

VC = QC

Putting above in eq. (i)

E – Q/C – IR = 0

Since, I = dQ/dt

Therefore,

E – Q/C – dQ/dt R=0

E – Q/C =dQ/dt R

E – Q =dQ/dt RC

Integrating both sides,

t
0∫ 1/RC dt = 0Q∫ 1/EC-Q dQ

-ln (EC-Q)/EC = t/RC ……………………….(ii)

1 – Q/EC = e-t/RC

Hence, we get

Q=EC(1 – e-t/RC)

Since,

EC = Q0 (*For a capacitor)

Therefore,

Q = Q0(1 – e-1/RC) …………………(iii)

Where, Q → Charge at time T

Q0 → Maximum charge

Also,

Q = CV and Q0 = CV0

Where,

V → Voltage at time T

V0→ Maximum voltage

Therefore, from eq. (iii)

CV = CV0 (1 - e-1/RC )

V = V0 (1 – e-1/RC) (*Required expression)

[Note: This is the charging equation only, for discharging equation proceed the

same way but only remove E from Kirchhoff law equation]

Thus, equation for discharging

V = V0 (e-1/RC)

When RC=t, then equation becomes

V=V0(1-e-1/RC) , Which on solving gives

V=0.63V0
 12

i.e. the voltage on capacitor at time ‘T=RC’ becomes 63% of the max voltage,

which means 63% of total charge has been stored in the capacitor.

This product of R and C has been given a new name, i.e. time constant and is

denoted by τ, which mean for any capacitor in RC circuit 63% of total charge is

at time constant.

In my experiment I have used a 100µF capacitor and 1 MΩ resistor thus, Time

constant = 100 × 10-6 × 106 = 100 sec

APPARATUS REQUIRED

1. Breadboard

2. 100µF capacitor

3. 1 MΩ resistor

4. Multi-meter

5. 9V battery

6. Wire stripper

7. Connecting wires

8. Battery connector

7. Stopwatch
 14

PROCEDURE

➢ Connect all the components in breadboard

➢ Now take multimeter leads and place them in the two terminals

➢ Now take the Battery and its terminal across the terminal of the capacitor and

start the stopwatch. Note the readings at 20 sec intervals and write them down.

[NOTE: - Reading the previous statement could be astonishing as it says that

measure voltage at 20 sec interval but one could question that current move at

very high speed so how could one measure the changing readings! But believe

me it wasn’t an easy task but since the voltage depends on reciprocal of

exponential function and as time passes by the changing readings will get

slowed down and even after infinite time the capacitor could not be charged up

to max voltage. Also, since its time constant is 100 sec which is quite practical

to measure at and hence this experiment is very much justified.]. Take 10

readings and if required the 20sec gap could be increased because as the time

passes by the change in voltage becomes smaller and smaller.

➢ Now let the capacitor be charged up to 460 secs because then it will become

99.99% charged [since we have a limited time and we can’t wait for infinite

time for it to charge completely!]. Now remove the battery and now attach a
 15

wire in place of the battery terminals and again note the multimeter readings

changing and record them.

➢ Plot a graph between voltage and time for charging as well as discharging
 16

OBSERVATIONS

S.No Multi-meter Multi-meter Time (in sec)

reading while reading while

charging (in V) charging (in V)

1 0 8.95 0

2 1.65 7.34 20

3 3.02 6.00 40

4 4.11 4.91 60

5 4.90 4.03 80

6 5.69 3.30 100

7 6.72 2.21 140

8 7.00 1.54 180

9 8.12 0.74 250

10 8.40 0.43 300

GRAPH

Plot of voltage vs time Time on X-axis and Voltage on Y-axis

• For Charging

• For Discharging
 18

CALCULATION

Now since the Graph are very much similar to the graph of charging and

discharging of capacitor.

At τ=100s, during charging of capacitor the voltage on capacitor is 5.69 volt as

it is observed in the experiment.

Now using the charging formula:

V=9(1-e-t/t)

V=9(1-1/e)

V=5.67≈ 5.69

Which is achieved experimentally as well.

Similarly, during discharging,

V = 9 × e-1

V = 3.32 ≈ 3.30

Which is achieved experimentally as well

CONCLUSION

Hence it is verified experimentally that 63% charge is there on capacitor after

time constant during charging and 63% charge is lost at time constant during

discharging.
 20

RESULT

The experiment was successful.

PRECAUTIONS

• Do all the connection carefully

• Do all the connection neat and tight

• Do not connect Led without resistance

• Keep yourself safe from high voltage

• Before doing any experiment please consult to your subject teacher or lab

assistance
 22

BIBLIOGRAPHY

▪ www.wikipedia.org

▪ www.google.com

▪ www.youtube.com

▪ www.knowledgecycle.in

▪ books.google.co.in