Charging and discharging of a capacitor
The circuit of document 2 includes:
• an ideal battery of electromotive force E; (K)
• a resistor of resistance R = 100 ; D
(1) (2)
N
• a capacitor of capacitance C; +
• a double switch (K);
P
• a lamp (L) considered as a resistor of resistance r = 50 . q
A – Charging of the capacitor + C r (L)
E
(K) is turned to position (1) at t0 = 0, so the capacitor, which is
initially neutral, starts charging. At an instant t the charge of
plate P is q. R
1. Determine in terms of E, R and C the differential equation in q. F
H M
2. The solution of the obtained differential equation has the form
Doc. 2
of q = A(1 – ) , where A and are constants. Determine the
expressions of these constants.
t
E τ
3. Deduce that the expression of the current during charging phase is i e
R
4. Document 3 represents the variation of the current i as a function of time t.
Use document 3 to:
4.1) determine the value of E;
4.2) determine the value of . Deduce C.
5. Calculate the electric energy stored in the capacitor at the end of charging phase.
B – Discharging of the capacitor
The capacitor is totally charged. The switch (K) is turned i (mA)
to position (2) at an instant taken as a new origin of time
t0 = 0. Take into consideration the positive direction
during the discharging phase.
120
1. Determine the differential equation that describes
the variation of uC = uPH during this discharging
100
phase.
2. Verify that uC = E is a solution of the obtained 80
differential equation.
3. 60 44.4
3.1) Show that uC = 4 V at the instant
40
t1 = 0.11 s.
3.2) Calculate the electric energy stored in the
capacitor at the instant t1. 20
3.3) Deduce the average electric power consumed t (s)
by the lamp during [0, t1]. 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Doc. 3
Part Exercise 2 Points
1 ug = uC + uR E = R i + uC
E dq q
R dt RC
2 dq A τ E
t
A 1 1
t
e , Ae τ ( )
dt τ R RC τ RC
t
A = CE , = RC , q C E (1 e τ )
3
t
dq CE τ E τ
t t
A q C E (1 e τ ) , i e e
dt RC R
4.1 I0 = E/R = 0.12 E = 12V
4 4.2 At t = , i = 0.37 I0 =0.37 ( 120) = 44.4 mA. Graphically = 0.2 s
τ
C 2 103 F
R
5 1 1
W Cu C2 (2 103 ) 122 0.144J
2 2
1 du C u C
uC- R i =0 , 0
dt rC
2 du C E
t
du C u C
uc = E , e rC , 0 , it is verified
dt rC dt rC
3.1 uc = E , At t = 0.11 s , uc = 12 =4V
3.2 1 1
Wremaining Cu C2 (2 103 ) (4)2 0.016 J
B 2 2
3 3.3 Wlost = W0 – Wremaining = 0.144 – 0.016 = 0.128J
W
P 1.16 W
t
