Charging and

discharging of capacitor
in R-C circuit
 Index
S.No. Title
1. Certificate
2. Acknowledgement
3. Introduction
4. Charging of capacitor
5. Discharging of capacitor
6. Aim
7. Apparatus
8. Theory
9. Procedure
10. Observation
Graphical representation
§ According to observation
§ Original graphical representation
11. Calculation
12. Conclusion
13. Bibliography
 Certificate
This is to certify that this ‘Physics Investigatory
project’ on the topic ‘charging and discharging of
capacitor in RC circuit’ by class XII under
the guidance of in particular
fulfillment of the curriculum of central board of
secondary education (CBSE) leading to the award of
annual examination of the year 20__ - 20__
Teacher-In-charge External examiner
 Acknowledgement
§ I have taken efforts in this project. However, it
would not have been possible without the kind
support and help of many individuals.
§ I would like to thank my principal and school for
providing me with facilities required to do my
project.
§ I am highly indebted to my physics teacher, for her
invaluable guidance which has sustained my efforts
in all the stages of this project.
§ I would also like to thank my parents for their
continuous support and encouragement.
§ My thanks and appreciations also go to my fellow
classmates in developing the project and to the
people who have willingly helped me out with their
abilities.
 Introduction
An R-C circuit is a circuit containing a resistor and
capacitor in series to a power source. Such circuits
finds very important applications in various areas of
science and in basic circuits which act as building
blocks of modern technological devices
 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
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 flow of current alters the charge on a capacitor,
just as the flow 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
flow moves the rubber membrane, it increases the
amount of water 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, that is 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 flow 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 flow
through the pipe even through no water molecule can
pass through the rubber membrane. Of course, the
flow 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. A
very stretchy, flexible membrane corresponds to a
hunger capacitance than a stiff membrane.
A charged up capacitor is storing potential energy,
analogously to a stretched membrane.
 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
slowly and let the membrane relax, then it is called
discharging of capacitor. In other words, when the
charges on each of the plates become zero and the
potential difference across its terminals drops to
zero. Below is a graphical description of capacitor as a
pipe with a membrane:
Relaxed membrane (Uncharged)

Stretched membrane (Charged)

 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
between voltage and time.
 Apparatus
§ Breadboard
§ 100μF capacitor
§ 1MΩ resistor
§ Multi-meter
§ 9V battery
§ Wire stripper, connecting wires, battery connector
§ Stopwatch
 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.
 xt
V
αe
The circuit diagram for this experiment is given below:

C
Applying Kirchhoff’s law in the above circuit during
charging (capacitor is connected to battery)
E
-Vc-I
R=0 (i
)

V
c=Q
C
Putting above in eq (i)
E
-Q-I
R=0
C
Since, I=d
QR
d
t
Therefore, E
-Q=d
QR
C d
t
E
C-Q=d
QRC
d
t
Integrating both sides,

-t/
RC
Hence we get, Q
=EC(
1-e )
Since E
C o for a capacitor
=Q
Therefore,
 -t
/RC
Q
=Qo(
1-e )
Q= charge at time T
o=max charge
Q
Also Q
=CVand Q
o=C
Vo,where Vand V
o are

voltage at time Tand max voltage respectively

Therefore from Eq (3)
-
t/R
C
C
V=C
Vo(
1-e )
 -t
/RC
V
=Vo(
1-e )
This is the charging equation only for discharging
equation proceed the same way but only remove E
from Kirchhoff law’s equation
Thus equation for discharging,
-t
/RC
V
=Vo(
1-e )
When RC= T, then equation becomes,
-1
V
=Vo(
1-e)
Which on solving gives
V= 0.63 V
o,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 project of Rand C has been given a new name,
which is time constant and is denoted byτ, which
means for any capacitor in RCcircuit 63% of total
charge is stored at time constant.
In this experiment we will use A1
00μF capacitor
and a 1
MΩ resistor thus time constant=1
00×1
0-
×1
6 0
6=1
00sec.
 Procedure
1. Connect all the components in the breadboard.
2. Take multimeter leads and place them in the two
terminals shaped.
3. Before proceeding further we must have a bit of
knowledge about breadboard. A breadboard is a
simple circuit building device used to build
temporary circuits just to test their working. It is
very simple to work with as it does not require any
 soldering or attachment of components, the
components could be just pushed in the holes and
connections could be made easily. A straight line
pattern of holes resembles a wire.
4. Now take the battery and connect its terminals of
the capacitor and start the stop watch. Note the
readings at 20sec intervals and write them down.
Take 10 readings and if required the 20 sec gap
 could be increased because as the time passes by
the change in voltage becomes smaller and smaller.
5. Let the capacitor be charged up to 460 sec
because then it will become 99.99% charged.noe
remove the battery and attach a wire in place of
the battery terminals and again note the multimeter
readings changing and record them.
6. Plot a graph between voltage and time for charging
as well as discharging.
 Observation
S.No. Multimeter reading Multimeter Time (in
while charging (in reading sec)
volt) while
discharging
(in volt)
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 BETWEEN VOLTAGE VS
TIME ACCORDING TO
OBSERVATION
GRAPH FOR CHARGING

9 .
8
.
7 . .
6
.
5 .
.
4
.
3
V
2
.
1

.0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

T
GRAPH FOR DISCCHARGING

9
.
8
.
7

6 .
5
.
4 .
3
.
V .
2
.
1
. .
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

T
 ORIGINAL GRAPH
BETWEEN VOLTAGE VS
TIME
 GRAPH FOR CHARGING
Vo

Potential Vo
difference
(V)

RC 2RC 3RC

Time (t)
 GRAPH FOR DISCCHARGING

Potential
Vo- Vo
difference
(V)

RC 2RC 3RC
Time (t)
 Calculation
Since the graph are very much similar to the graph of
charging and discharging of capacitor.
At T=100sec, during charging of capacitor the voltage
on capacitor is 5.69 volt as it is observed in the
experiment. Now using the charging formula:
-t
/t
V= 9(
1-e )
 -t/
e
V= 9(
1-e )
V=5.67 (approx 5.69) which is achieved
experimentally as well.
Similarly during discharging,
V= 9*e-1
V= 3.32 (approx 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.
 Bibliography
§ Eagle wish
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