All Flashcards
What is the effect of increasing resistance (R) in an RC circuit?
Increases the time constant (τ), resulting in slower charging and discharging of the capacitor.
What is the effect of increasing capacitance (C) in an RC circuit?
Increases the time constant (τ), resulting in slower charging and discharging of the capacitor.
What happens when a capacitor reaches steady state in a DC circuit?
It blocks DC current and acts like an open circuit.
What is the effect of connecting capacitors in series?
It decreases the overall equivalent capacitance.
What is the effect of connecting capacitors in parallel?
It increases the overall equivalent capacitance.
How do you find the total capacitance of capacitors in series?
Use the reciprocal addition formula:
How do you find the total capacitance of capacitors in parallel?
Add the capacitances directly:
Describe the process of charging a capacitor in an RC circuit.
Initially, current flows freely. As the capacitor charges, the voltage across it increases until it equals the source voltage, at which point current stops flowing.
Describe the process of discharging a capacitor in an RC circuit.
The capacitor releases its stored charge through the resistor, with the voltage and current decreasing exponentially over time.
What happens to the voltage across a capacitor in a DC circuit over time?
The voltage across the capacitor increases over time until it reaches the voltage of the source, after which it remains constant.
Compare capacitors in series vs. parallel regarding total charge.
Series: Charge is the same on each capacitor. Parallel: Total charge is the sum of charges on each capacitor.
Compare capacitors in series vs. parallel regarding total capacitance.
Series: Reciprocal addition is used. Parallel: Capacitances are added directly.
Compare the behavior of a capacitor in a DC circuit initially versus at steady state.
Initially: Current flows freely. Steady State: No current flows; acts as an open circuit.
Compare charging vs. discharging an RC circuit regarding current flow.
Charging: Current decreases exponentially. Discharging: Current (magnitude) decreases exponentially, and flows in the opposite direction.
Compare the voltage distribution in series vs parallel capacitor circuits.
Series: Voltage is split across capacitors. Parallel: Voltage is the same across each capacitor.