KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA MG
RAILWAY COLONY
BANGALORE-560023
PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
TOPIC
Charging and Discharging of a
Capacitor
Done by: Chukki
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Chukki, student of class XII A Kendriya
Vidyalaya MG Railway Colony, Bangalore, has satisfactorily
completed the physics project entitled “CHARGING AND
DISCHARGING OF A CAPACITOR “ for the year 2024-25
Signature of teacher Signature of
incharge external examiner
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere thanks to
Mr.Kanan PGT Physics, for vital support guidance
and encouragement without which this project
would not have come forth.
I take this opportunity to express my profound
gratitude and thanks to Dr.Rudal dubey, Principal
Kendriya Vidyalaya MG Railway Colony Bangalore
for giving an opportunity to undertake the work and
provide facilities for this project.
My deep sense of gratitude and thanks to Physics
Lab Assistant, my friends and my parents for their
help and support.
Chukki
Index
1. Introduction
2. Aim
3. Materials required
4. Theory
5. Explanation of model
6. Observation
7. Conclusion
8. Precautions
9. Bibliography
Introduction
A capacitor is a fundamental electrical component used
to store and release energy in electronic circuits. It
consists of two conductive plates separated by an
insulating material (dielectric). Charging and discharging
processes of capacitors play critical roles in electronic
devices like power supplies, timers, and signal processors.
This project explores these processes and the factors that
influence them.
Aim
To study the charging and discharging of a capacitor in a
simple electrical circuit and analyze how the voltage across
the capacitor changes over time.
Materials Required
-
Capacitor (1000 µF, 25V)
- Resistor (1kΩ)
- Battery or DC Power Supply (9V)
- Breadboard
- Connecting Wires
- Switch
- Voltmeter/Multimeter
Theory
When connected to a voltage source, a capacitor charges and
stores energy in an electric field. The voltage behavior over
time is described by the equations:
Charging: V(t) = V_max * (1 - e^(-t/RC))
Discharging: V(t) = V_max * e^(-t/RC)
Here, V(t) represents voltage at time t, V_max is the
maximum voltage, R is resistance, C is capacitance, and e
is Euler's number (approximately 2.718). The time
constant τ = RC determines the charging and discharging
rate.
Explanation of Model
Circuit Setup 1. Connect the capacitor in series with
the resistor and battery on the breadboard. 2. Attach a
switch between the capacitor and power supply to
control charging and discharging. 3. Use a voltmeter
to measure the voltage across the capacitor over time.
Charging Process - When the switch is closed, the
capacitor starts charging, and the voltage across it
gradually increases. - The current initially flows at its
maximum value but decreases as the capacitor stores
charge. - After approximately 5τ (5RC), the capacitor
is nearly fully charged.
Discharging Process - When the switch is opened, the
capacitor starts discharging through the resistor. - The
stored energy is released, causing the voltage to
decrease exponentially. - After 5τ (5RC), the capacitor is
nearly fully discharged.
Observation
The voltage across the capacitor increases gradually
during
-
charging. - The charging process slows down as the
capacitor approaches full charge. - During discharge,
the voltage decreases exponentially over time. - The
time taken for charging or discharging depends on
the resistance (R) and capacitance (C) values. -
Larger capacitance or resistance results in slower
charging
and discharging
process.
Conclusion
From this experiment, we conclude that the charging and
discharging of a capacitor follow an exponential relationship
governed by the time constant τ = RC. The capacitor takes
longer to charge or discharge when the resistance or
capacitance is high. This concept is widely used in electronic
circuits for timing applications, filtering signals, and energy
storage.
Precautions
▪ All connections should be connected properly
▪ All the connections should be tight
Certain voltage and current should be maintained to make
▪
sure that the apparatus will not be damaged
▪ Do not discharged forcefully
Bibliography
www.google.com
www.wikipedia.org
NCERT Textbook- Physics textbook for class XII
Done by: Chukki
