PHYSICS

INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
PROJECT NAME

Discuss with experimental set up charging and

discharging of capacitors.

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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 Introduction:
• Capacitors are crucial components in electronicsfor energy
storage and timing applications. Thisproject aims to provide
a comprehensive understanding of how capacitors charge
and discharge in electronic circuits through practical
experiments.
• When a capacitor charges, it stores electrical energy,
gradually reaching its maximum capacity. This process is
governed by the time constant, which depends on the
resistance and capacitance in the circuit. On the other hand,
discharging involves the release of stored energy, creating a
flow of current.

• When the power supply is connected to the capacitor, there

is an increase in flow of electric charge called charging.
When the power supply is removed from the capacitor, the
discharging phase begins and there is a constant reduction
in the voltage between the two plates until it reaches zero.

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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Dravya Patel – 12th Science
pg. 3
 Objectives:
• The primary objective of this project is to
experimentally demonstrate and understand the
charging and discharging of capacitors andanalyze
the collected data.
• The study of capacitors and capacitance also provides
the background for learning about some of the
properties of insulators. Because of their behaviour in
electric fields, insulators are often referred to as
dielectrics.
• In this lesson, we will use the concept of electric
potential to examine the capacitor. Later, we will
consider polarization, in which the imposition of an
electric field on a dielectric causes a net separation of
charges. We shall then talk about the most important
practical consequence of polarization: the way the
presence of a dielectric affects the properties of a
capacitor.

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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Materials Required:
1) Capacitor:(100µF,16V) :

• A capacitor is an electrical component or a device that stores

electrical energy by accumulating electric charges on opposite
surfaces which are separated by an insulating layer and the
capability to store these charges at a given potential refers to
capacitance.

figure:1 :- capacitor

2) Resistor: (10kΩ)
• A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that
implements electrical resistance as a circuit element. In
electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow,
adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements,
and terminate transmission lines, among other uses.

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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 Figure 2 :- Resistor 1

Power Supply : 9V Battery

• A battery is a device that converts chemical energy contained
within its active materials directly into electric energy by means
of an electrochemical oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction.
This type of reaction involves the transfer of electrons from
one material to another via an electric circuit.

Figure:3 :- Battery 1

3) Voltmeter :

• A voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring electric

potential difference between two points in an electric circuit. It
is connected in parallel. It usually has a high resistance so that
it takes negligible current from the circuit.

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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 Figure : 4 :- Voltmeter

4) Switch :
• A switch is an electromechanical device used to control the
flow of electricity in a circuit. When the switch is 'OFF' or in the
'open' position, there is no flow of electricity.

Figure:5:- Switch 1

5) Breadboard and connecting wires:

• A breadboard, solderless breadboard, or protoboard is a
construction base used to build semi-permanent prototypes of
electronic circuits. Unlike a perfboard or stripboard,
breadboards do not require soldering or destruction of tracks
and are hence reusable.

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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 • A connecting wire is represented by a straight line. It is usually
made of copper and is provided with insulation to make
electrical connections between two points.

Figure : 7 :- Wires 1

Figure : 6 :- Breadboard 1

6) Stopwatch:
• A stopwatch is a timepiece designed to measure
the amount of time that elapses between its
activation and deactivation.

Figure : 8 :- Stopwatch 1

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Experimental Setup:
• Assemble the components on a breadboard
asfollows:
• Connect one terminal of the capacitor to the
positive terminal of the power supply.
• Connect the other terminal of the capacitor
to one end of the resistor.
• Connect the other end of the resistor to the
negative terminal of the power supply.
• Use a switch to control the circuit.
• Ensure safety precautions are followed, and
components are securely placed on the
breadboard.
 Types of Connection
➢There are two types of connection in capacitor
1) Series connection of capacitor
2) Parallel connection of capacitor

➢ Series connection of capacitor :

• When capacitors are connected in series, they are all

connected to each other along one path and are connected
to the same voltage source. Each capacitor has the same
charge and each capacitor has different voltages that add up
to the voltage of the voltage source.
• Series connections produce a total capacitance that is less
than that of any of the individual capacitors. We can find an
expression for the total capacitance by considering the
voltage across the individual capacitors.
 Q = C1 V1 = C2 V2
❖ The total potential difference across combination is:
➢ Parallel Connection of Capacitor :
• When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total
capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitors'
capacitances. If two or more capacitors are connected in
parallel, the overall effect is that of a single equivalent
capacitor having the sum total of the plate areas of the
individual capacitors.
• Capacitors are devices used to store electrical energy in the
form of electrical charge. By connecting several capacitors in
parallel, the resulting circuit is able to store more
energy since the equivalent capacitance is the sum of
individual capacitances of all capacitors involved.
Procedure:
1) Charge the capacitor :
• Direct current is a unidirectional flow of electric charge. The
capacitor is fully charged when the voltage of the power
supply is equal to that at the capacitor terminals. This is
called capacitor charging; and the charging phase is over
when current stops flowing through the electrical circuit.
• Start with the switch in the open (off) position.
• Record the initial voltage reading across the capacitor
(Vc_initial) using the voltmeter.
• Close the switch to initiate charging.
• Measure and record the voltage across the capacitor (Vc) at
30-second intervals during the charging process.

2) Discharge of Capacitor:
• When the circuit's power supply is disconnected, the
capacitor's retained energy is discharged through the
bleeder resistor. In cases where the circuit already has this
resistor, the capacitor automatically discharges through it as
soon as the power supply is disconnected.
• Open the switch to disconnect the power supply and initiate
discharging.
• Measure and record the voltage across the discharging
capacitor (Vc) at 30-second intervals during the discharging
process.

3) Data Collection:

• Record voltage measurements during both charging and

discharging processes at 30-second intervals. The data is as
follows:
Dravya Patel – 12th Science
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 Analysis:
• Calculate the time constant (τ) of the circuit using the
resistor (R) and capacitor (C), where τ= RC.
• τ = (10,000 Ω) * (100 µF) = 1 second
• Examine how the voltage across the capacitor changes over
time during charging and discharging.
• Observe that the voltage during charging approaches the
power supply voltage, and during discharging, it approaches
zero.
• The graph of charging and discharging of capacitor as
shown in figure.

Figure : 11 :- Graph of charging and discharging of capacitors

Dravya Patel – 12th Science

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 Results and Observations:
• During charging, the voltage across the capacitor
gradually increased, following an exponential
curve.
• As time passed, the rate of voltage increases
decreased, and it approached the power supply
voltage (9V).
• During discharging, the voltage across the capacitor
gradually decreased, following an exponential
curve.
• As time passed, the rate of voltage decrease
slowed down, and it approached zero.
 Precaution:
• Never ever touch a live capacitor terminals or wires.
• Never exceed rated voltage across its terminals.
• Beyond a small temporary overvoltage, it cannot bear it
and gets damaged. If case is of metal container, it
should preferably be earthed.
• Pay attention to the positive and negative poles of the
DC electrolytic capacitor.
• Do not apply either reverse voltages or AC voltages to
the polarized capacitors, using reversed polarity may
cause a short circuit.
• Check the circuit properly and join the the wires
carefully .
 Bibliography:
➢ www.wikipedia.com