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College of Computing and Engineering

1ST SEMESTER & AY 2020-2021

CPA101: FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

LABORATORY ACTIVITY 6
RL AND RC CIRCUIT

NAME: CANSADO, JAMES MICHAEL L.

SECTION: 2CPE-B

DATE OF SUBMISSION: DECEMBER 5, 2020

INSTRUCTOR:

ENGR. MONICA B. MAGNATE

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College of Computing and Engineering
1ST SEMESTER & AY 2020-2021

MODULE

6 RL AND RC CIRCUIT

INTRODUCTION

An RC circuit contains a resistor and a capacitor. Similarly, a circuit with a resistor and an inductor
is an RL circuit. When these circuits are connected to a DC power supply (such as a battery), the
current through the circuits and the potential difference between the terminals of the circuit
elements will vary with time.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this module you should be able to:

1. become familiar with the basic behavior of an RC circuit and an RL circuit;

2. learn how the voltage across the plates of a capacitor (also known as a condenser)
changes with time;
3. measure the time constant associated with the change in voltage; and
4. learn how the potential difference across the terminals of an inductor changes with time
when an RL circuit is connected to or disconnected from a power supply

6.1] SCHEMATICS

Figure 6.1: A simple Figure 6.2: A simple RC Figure 6.3: A simple RL

resistor ciruit Circuit Circuit

6.2] BACKGROUND

1. Consider the circuit shown in Figure 6.1 in which a power supply, with a potential difference V
between its terminals, is connected across a resistor R. Assume that the switch has been open
for a long time.

Exercise 1a: What is the electric potential at points A, B, C, D, E and F?

VA = VB = VC = VD = VE = VF = 0

Exercise 1b: What is the potential across the resistor (between points D and E)?

VD = VE
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Exercise 1c: Immediately after the switch is closed, what is the electric potential at points A, B,
C, D, E, and F?

VA = VB = VC = VD = VE = VF = 0
Exercise 1d: What is the electric potential difference across the resistor?

VR = VD - VE
Exercise 1e: A long time after the switch has been closed, what is the electric potential at points
A, B, C, D, E and F? What is the electric potential difference across the resistor?

VA = VB

2. A parallel plate capacitor is easy to understand. It is made up of two metal plates separated by
a small air gap. When the plates are connected to a battery, opposite charges build up on the
plates. The amount of charge that can be stored is directly proportional to the potential difference
between the plates of the capacitor. The capacitance C (farads) is the proportionality constant
relating the charge Q (coulombs) stored on the plates, and voltage V0 (volts) between the plates.
This relationship is given by,

Q = CV0 (1)

After the capacitor is \charged up" (a long time after the switch is closed) no current flows through
the circuit. The voltage drop across R (recall V = IR) is zero and the potential difference between
the plates of the capacitor is equal to the potential difference between the plates of the battery.
The capacitor is now fully charged.

Now consider the circuit shown in Figure 6.2 in which the battery (voltage V0 between terminals)
is connected in series with a resistor R and a capacitor C through a switch. Assume that that there
is initially no potential difference between the plates of the capacitor. Assume that the switch has
been open for a long time.

Exercise 2a: What is the voltage across the plates of the capacitor when the switch is open?

VC = 0
Exercise 2b: Same as 2a, but immediately after the switch is closed?

VC = 0
Exercise 2c: Same as 2a, but a long time after the switch is closed?

VC = V
Exercise 2d: Based on your answers to parts 2a, 2b, and 2c, sketch a graph for the voltage
across the plates of the capacitor as a function of time.
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Exercise 2e: Sketch a graph for the voltage across the resistor as a function of time.

3. Now consider the situation when the capacitor is fully charged with the battery V0. Assume that
the capacitor is disconnected from the battery and connected across a resistor through a switch.
At t = 0, the switch is closed and the capacitor drives a current through the resistor.

Exercise 3a: What is voltage across the capacitor: i) When the switch is open? ii) Immediately
after the switch is closed? iii) A long time after the switch is closed?

i.) VC = 0, ii.) VC = V0, iii.) VC = 0

Exercise 3b: Based on your answers to exercise 3a, sketch a graph of the voltage across the
capacitor as a function of time. Also, sketch a graph showing the voltage across the resistor as
a function of time.

4. We shall now discuss how the voltage across the plates of the capacitor varies with time. After
the switch is closed (Figure 6.2), Kirchoff's voltage rule can be applied to the circuit. Assume that
the instantaneous value of the current in the circuit is I(t).

Hence, we get,

V0 ¡ I(t)R ¡ VC(t) = 0 (2)

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Now recall that VC(t) = Q(t)/C and that I = dQ/dt . Hence, equation 2 becomes,

Rearranging equation 3,

Differentiating the following substitution β(t) = (Q(t) - CV0), we get dβ(t)/dt = dQ(t)/dt. Therefore
the solution to the differential equation becomes,

Assume that the initial condition for the charge on the plates of the capacitor, is Q(t = 0) = 0.
The solution to equation 5 can be shown to be,

Equation 6 describes the time-dependent charge buildup on the plates of the capacitor. Using
equation 1, we now write the time-dependent voltage across the plates of the capacitor as,

Exercise 4a: Verify that equation 7 makes sense by applying limits t = 0 and t = 1. How does the
graph of V (t) predicted by equation 7 compare with your graph in question 2?

The voltage and capacitor charges until it is equal to its voltage source as the time passes.
Exercise 4b: What are the values of V for t = RC, 2RC, 3RC and 5RC?

@ V(RC) = 1- 𝑒 −1= 0.63V

@ V(2RC) = 1- 𝑒 −2= 0.86V

@ V(3RC) = 1- 𝑒 −3= 0.95V

@ V(4RC) = 1- 𝑒 −4= 0.98V

@ V(5RC) = 1- 𝑒 −5=0.99V

Exercise 4c: Verify that the quantity RC (which is called the time constant for the circuit) has the
units of time.
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5. Now again consider the situation when the capacitor is fully charged with the battery V0.
Assume that the capacitor is disconnected from the battery and connected across a resistor
through a switch. At t = 0, the switch is closed and the capacitor drives a current through the
resistor.

Applying Kirchoff's rule to this circuit we get,

Knowing that the current is the rate at which charge decreases on the plates of the capacitor, I =
-dQ/dt, we get,

The solution to equation 9 can be found by applying the initial condition Q(t = 0) = Q0. The solution
can be shown to be,

Since Q0 = CV0, we can describe the potential difference across the plates of the capacitor by
the following equation,

Exercise 5a: Verify that equation 11 makes sense by applying limits t = 0 and t = 1. How does
the graph of V (t) predicted by equation 11 compare with your graph in exercise 3?

V(0) = 𝑉𝑒 0 = V1, V(1) = 𝑉𝑒 −1 = 0.37V

Exercise 5b: What are the values of V for t = RC, 2RC, 3RC and 5RC?
V(RC) = 𝑉𝑒 −1 = 0.37V V(4RC) = 𝑉𝑒 −4 = 0.02V
V(2RC) = 𝑉𝑒 −2 = 0.13V V(5RC) = 𝑉𝑒 −5 = 6.74𝑥10−3 V
V(3RC) = 𝑉𝑒 −3 = 0.05V
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Exercise 6a: Consider the RL circuit shown in Figure 6.3. Assume that the switch is open, and
that there is no current °ow through the circuit. Immediately after the switch is connected to
position A: i) What is the current through the circuit? ii) What is the potential difference across the
inductor? iii) What is the potential difference across the resistor?

i.) I = V/R

ii.) VL = 0

ii.) VR = VA

Exercise 6b: A long time after the switch is connected to A (Figure 6.3): i) What is the current
through the circuit? ii) What is the potential difference across the inductor? iii) What is the potential
difference across the resistor?
𝑡
i.) IL = I0𝑒 −𝑅𝐶

ii.) VL = V

iii.) VL = IL(R)

Exercise 6c: Give reasons for your answers. Sketch a graph of the potential difference across
the inductor as a function of time. A long time after the current in the circuit has stabilized (with
the switch in position A), the switch is thrown to position B.

Exercise 7a: Consider again the circuit shown in Figure 6.3. Immediately after the switch is
closed: i) What is the current through the circuit? ii) What is the potential difference across the
inductor? Give reasons for your answers.
i.) IL = I0
ii.) VL = IL(R)
Immediately after the switch is closed the current in Inductor is equal to the current supplied
to it before the switch is closed.
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Exercise 7b: A long time after the switch is in position B (Figure 3): i) What is the current through
the circuit? ii) What is the potential difference across the inductor? Give reasons for your answers.

IL = 0

6. We shall now discuss how the voltage across the inductor varies with time.

After the switch is connected to position A, Kirchoff's voltage rule can be applied to the circuit.
Assume that the instantaneous value of current in the circuit is I(t) keeping in mind that L(dIIdt )
is the absolute value of the induced emf in an inductor. Hence we get,

Exercise 8: Draw the circuit and show which terminal of the inductor is at a higher potential.

Rearranging equation 12 we get,

Using the substitution,

differentiating equation 14 and plugging it into equation 13 we get,

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After solving the differential equation, the solution can be found by applying the initial condition
𝛽(t = 0) = β0 and plugging back equation 14,

where the time constant τ = L/R.

6.3] PROCEDURES

1. Time constants for RC circuits

a. Connect the series circuit as shown in Figure 6.4 on the multisim using a resistor with R = 100k
ohms and capacitor with a value of C = 0.002 F. Set the generator to the “square pulse mode".
Connect channel 2 of the oscilloscope to the terminals of the capacitor.

Figure 6.4: Experimental setup for an RC circuit

b. Connect the output of the waveform generator directly to channel 1 of the scope. Ensure that
the ground of the oscilloscope and the ground of the function generator are connected to the
ground terminal of the capacitor. Trigger the oscilloscope, using channel 1 as the trigger source.
Adjust the frequency of the generator so that the waveform has a period that is much longer than
the expected value of the time constant.

c. Measure the time constant of the signal (displayed on channel 2) when the capacitor is charged
and discharged.

d. Record your results in the table below. Compare the time constants associated with the
charging and discharging of the capacitor. Compare the measured time constants with the
expected values. Find out the uncertainties in the values of R and C used in the experiment. Does
the measured value fall within this uncertainty?

Time constant Theoretical Measured Deviation

Charging
Discharging
Table 6.1
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e. Vary the resistance or the capacitance and check if the time constant changes in the expected
manner. Tabulate your data.

Resistance Capacitance Time Constant

1kΩ 1mF 1s
2 kΩ 2 mF 4s
3 kΩ 3 mF 9s
4 kΩ 4 mF 16s
5 kΩ 5 mF 25s
Table 6.2

f. Attach the screenshot of the waveforms. Mark the time constant on the figure. Does the shape
of the signal correspond to the theoretical predictions of equation 7 and equation 11?

2. Time constants for RL circuits

a. Connect the circuit shown in Figure 6.5.

b. Test your predictions for the potential difference across the terminals of the inductor. Use a
100 mH inductor and a suitable resistor (1 k-ohms).

c. Record your results in the table below. Compare the measured time constants with the
expected values. Find out the uncertainties in the values of R and C used in the experiment. Does
the measured value fall within this uncertainty?

Theoretical Measured Deviation

Time constant 0.001s 0s 0.001s1
Table 6.3

e. Vary the resistance or the inductance and check if the time constant changes in the expected
manner. Tabulate your data.

Resistance Inductance Time Constant

1 kΩ 1mH 1 µs
1 kΩ 2 mH 2 µs
1 kΩ 3 mH 3 µs
1 kΩ 4 mH 4 µs
1 kΩ 5 mH 5 µs
Table 6.4

f. Attach the screenshot of the waveforms. Mark the time constant on the figure.
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6.4] CONCLUSION

What have you learned from this activity?

In this laboratory activity, I learned to the waveforms of RL and RC circuits. How

voltage changes in this kind of circuits using the waveforms.

REFERENCES

[1] http://www.yorku.ca/marko/PHYS2211/Lab9