Electronics & Virtual Labs
Capacitor Charge & RC Time Constant Lab
Manipulate resistance, capacitance, and supply voltage in an interactive RC circuit. Watch real-time animated oscilloscope curves, mark 1τ (63.2%) to 5τ milestones, control simulation speeds, and overlay experiment comparisons.
Capacitor Charge & RC Time Constant Lab
Transient ResponseLive oscilloscope exponential curves, tau markers (63.2%), plate charge dynamics, and experiment overlay
Live Transient Response
Elapsed Time: 0.00 sτ (R×C): 1.00 sProgress: 0.0%
Circuit Configuration
Series Resistance (R):10 kΩ
Capacitance (C):100.0 µF
DC Supply Voltage (Vs):5.0 V
Conceptual Stored Plate Charge
Capacitor Voltage (Vc):0.00 V
Instantaneous Current (I):500.00 µA
Stored Charge (Q = C × V):0.0 µC
Physics Principle: Current is maximum at t=0 because uncharged plates offer no counter-voltage. As charge accumulates, Vc opposes the source, exponentially choking off the current.
Mathematical Formulation & Engineering Notes
Charging: V_c(t) = V_s(1 − e^(−t/τ)). Discharging: V_c(t) = V_0 · e^(−t/τ). Time constant: τ = R · C.