AP PHYSICS C: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM Scoring Guide

MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

In the circuit shown above, the capacitor is initially uncharged. The switch S is then closed.

1. A long time after the switch is closed, the current in the 3 ⯑ resistor is most nearly
(A) 0 A
(B) 0.20 A
(C) 0.50 A
(D) 0.67 A
(E) 1.0 A

2. Immediately after the switch is closed, the current in the 3 ⯑ resistor is most nearly
(A) 0 A
(B) 0.20 A
(C) 0.50 A
(D) 0.67 A
(E) 1.0 A

3. An isolated capacitor with capacitance initially has a potential difference . A second isolated capacitor with
capacitance has initial potential difference . The positive plates of the two capacitors are connected
together through a resistor, and the negative plates of the two capacitors are connected directly together to form a
complete circuit. What is the potential difference across the capacitor with capacitance after the circuit has
reached steady state conditions?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

Answer C

Correct. At steady state, the two capacitors have the same potential difference .

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

Also, the final charges on the two capacitors must sum up to the total initial charge , which is
. Solving the equation for
yields , so .

4.

An RC circuit consists of a resistor with resistance of , a battery with of , and two

capacitors with capacitances of μ and μ . Initially the capacitors are uncharged, and then the
switch is closed at . The time constant of the circuit is most nearly
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Answer D

Correct. The equation for the time constants is , where is the equivalent capacitance of the
circuit. This solution calculates the equivalent capacitance for two capacitors in parallel:
μ μ μ . This value is then substituted into the time-constant
equation: μ .

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5.

Two capacitors initially uncharged are connected in series to a battery, as shown above. What is the charge on the
top plate of C1?
(A) –81 µC
(B) –18 µC
(C) 0 µC
(D) +18 µC
(E) +81 µC

6.

Three capacitors are connected in series as shown in the diagram above. The capacitance of the combination
is
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

(E)

An uncharged 3.0 μF capacitor is placed in a circuit with an ideal battery, two resistors, and an open switch S, as shown in
the figure above. The switch is then closed.

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7. What is the current in the 10 Ω resistor immediately after the switch is closed?
(A) Zero
(B) 1.0 A
(C) 1.5 A
(D) 3.0 A
(E) 10 A

8. What is the current in the 20 Ω resistor a long time after the switch is closed?
(A) Zero
(B) 1.0 A
(C) 1.5 A
(D) 3.0 A
(E) 10 A

9.

In the circuit above, what is the total current leaving the battery a long time after the switch is closed?
(A) Zero

(B)
(C)
(D)

(E)

Answer A

Correct. A long time after the switch is closed, both capacitors will be fully charged and will not allow

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

any current in their respective branches. There will be no complete path for the current, so there will be
zero current.

10.

In the circuit shown above, the switch is initially in position . After capacitor is fully charged, the switch is
moved to position at time . Which of the following graphs best represents the current as a function of time
in the resistor ?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

11.

In the circuit shown above, switch is left open for a very long period of time and is then closed. What is the initial
current that passes through immediately after it is closed?
(A)
(B)

(C)

(D)
(E)

Answer C

Correct. When the switch is left open for a very long time, the capacitor becomes charged until its
potential difference is equal to the of the battery, . Immediately after the switch is closed, the
capacitor supplies this potential difference of to the right-hand loop of the circuit, which has resistance
. Applying Ohm’s law .

12.

Capacitors of capacitance and , where , are connected in separate circuits to a battery,

identical resistors of resistance , and a switch . The switch is closed, and the potential difference and
across the plates of capacitors and , respectively, is measured over equal intervals of time. Which of the
following is a possible set of data for this setup?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

Time

(A)

Time

(B)

(C)

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

Time

Time

(D)

(E)

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

Time

Answer B

Correct. Since the capacitors are in parallel, they should both reach the same final potential difference.
But the larger capacitor will have the larger time constant and will take longer to reach that
final potential difference.

13. Each of the following figures shows three identical capacitors connected to a battery. Which arrangement has the
greatest equivalent capacitance?

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(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

Three identical capacitors, each of capacitance 3.0 µF, are connected in a circuit with a 12 V battery as shown above.

14. The equivalent capacitance between points X and Z is

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(A) 1.0 µF
(B) 2.0 µF
(C) 4.5 µF
(D) 6.0 µF
(E) 9.0 µF

15. The potential difference between points Y and Z is

(A) zero
(B) 3 V
(C) 4 V
(D) 8 V
(E) 9 V

Refer to the system of six 2-microfarad capacitors shown below.

16. The equivalent capacitance of the system of capacitors is

(A) µF
(B) µF

(C) 3µF
(D) 6µF
(E) 12µF

17. What potential difference must be applied between points 𝑋 and 𝑌 so that the charge on each plate of each capacitor
will have magnitude 6 microcoulombs?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A) 1.5 V
(B) 3 V
(C) 6 V
(D) 9 V
(E) 18 V

18.

Three identical capacitors with capacitance C are arranged as shown above. What is the equivalent capacitance
between points A and B?
(A) C/3
(B) 2C/3
(C) C
(D) 3C/2
(E) 3C

19.

A capacitor using a new dielectric will be tested by connecting it in the circuit shown above with two resistors of
resistance and a power supply of potential difference . The ammeter has negligible resistance, and the current
through the voltmeter is negligible. The internal resistance of the battery is negligible. Select and justify the
measurements that can be used to determine the capacitance of the capacitor.

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Use the measurement of the voltmeter at regular intervals of time as the capacitor charges, because this
(A)
can be used to determine the time constant for the circuit, and thus the capacitance.
Use the steady state measurement of the voltmeter, because this can be used to determine the charge
(B)
stored on the capacitor, and thus the capacitance.
Use the measurement of the ammeter at regular intervals of time as the capacitor charges, because this
(C)
can be used to determine the time constant for the circuit, and thus the capacitance.
Use the steady state measurement of the ammeter, because this can be used to determine the charge
(D)
stored on the capacitor, and thus the capacitance.
Use the steady state measurement of both the ammeter and the voltmeter, because this can be used to
(E)
determine the charge stored on the capacitor and the time constant, and thus the capacitance.

Answer C

Correct. By taking measurements of the current over several time intervals, the time constant can be
determined as the time when the current is approximately of the maximum current. Then, using the
equation for the time constant , the capacitance can be determined.

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20. This question should take approximately 25 minutes. Read each of the parts carefully. Support your answers with
relevant physics principles. The parts within the question may not have equal weight. Write your answers in the
parts provided after each part. If you find you are in need of symbolic notation that is too difficult to type, you
may identify a non-standard symbol and use that throughout your answer. For example, you may identify “Q” as
the measurement for an angle.

A student connects a battery with constant potential difference , a switch S, a resistor R, and a capacitor C as
shown in the figure. At time , the switch is closed. The graph shows the net charge that has passed through
the battery starting at time . Positive values represent positive charge leaving the positive terminal. There
are also dashed lines in the graph representing the line tangent to the graph at time and the line that the
graph asymptotically reaches after a long time.

(a) Suggest values for V in volts, R in ohms, and C in farads that could result in the graph shown above. Explain
your choice of values.

(b) A student is asked to create a second graph with twice the initial slope but the same horizontal asymptote as
the original graph. The student has access to one additional battery , one additional resistor R, and one
additional capacitor C, along with several additional connecting wires. Explain how one or more of the additional
components could be added to the circuit to accomplish this task. Justify your answer.

(c)

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The student constructs the above graph of the power delivered to the capacitor as a function of time. Briefly
explain why the graph starts at zero, reaches a maximum, and then asymptotically approaches zero again.

(d)

The student repeats the experiment, however this time the capacitor is initially charged so that its top plate is
positive and the potential difference between the plates is twice the potential difference across the battery.
Describe how the graph of charge vs. time from part (c) would appear now if the switch is closed at time .
Be sure to address initial slope and final asymptote of the graph. Justify your answers.

Part (a)

Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.

0 1 2 3 4

Student response accurately includes four of the following criteria.

• The suggested C and V multiply to 20.

• The student explains the C and V chosen by AT LEAST: EITHER citing Q = CV, OR stating that V is also the
final potential difference of the capacitor

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• The suggested V and R divide so that V/R = 10 A .

• The student recognizes that the initial slope of the graph is the current through the resistor when the capacitor has
zero potential difference.

Part (b)

Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.

0 1 2 3

Student response accurately includes three of the following criteria.

• The student states that a second resistor R must be placed in parallel with the existing resistor.

• The student recognizes that this will divide the equivalent resistance by 2.

• The student gives a reason why this will not affect the horizontal asymptote (such as citing Q = CV and stating
that resistance doesn’t affect the final Q) and gives a reason why this will double the initial slope (such as citing
that initial slope is initial current, which is inversely proportional to resistance).

Part (c)

Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.

0 1 2 3 4

Student response accurately includes four of the following criteria.

• The student uses P = IV as part of their argument

• The student’s argument includes recognition that P = 0 initially for the capacitor because the initial potential
difference across the capacitor is zero

• The student’s argument includes recognition that I asymptotically approaches zero over a long time.

• The student’s argument includes recognition that a maximum must occur because there is a time at which the
power delivered to the capacitor is non-zero

Part (d)

Select a point value to view scoring criteria, solutions, and/or examples and to score the response.

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

0 1 2 3 4

Student response includes four of the following criteria.

• The student indicates that the slope is negative and gives a good reason for why current passes backward through
the battery.

• The student indicates that the initial slope magnitude is the same as before and gives a good reason for why, such
as recognition that the resistor must have the same potential difference as before.

• The student indicates that ΔQ = CΔV the horizontal asymptote has the same magnitude as before.

• The student gives a reason why the amount of charge passing through the battery is the same as before, such as
indication that and the change in electric potential from 2 V to 1 V is the same as the change in electric potential
from 0 V to 1 V before

21.

A charged capacitor C, resistor R, and switch S are connected in series. Voltmeter V is connected in parallel with
the resistor, as shown in the figure above. At time t = 0, the switch is then closed. Which of the following shows the
potential difference ΔV reading on the voltmeter as a function of time t after the switch is closed?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

22.

The capacitor C in the circuit shown above is initially uncharged. The switch S is then closed. Which of the
following best represents the voltage VR across the resistor R as a function of time t?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

23. Identical resistors and identical uncharged capacitors are connected to identical ideal batteries of emf in the
circuits shown below. Each circuit has a switch S in the open position. In which circuit will the capacitors reach half
their maximum charge in the least amount of time when switch S is closed?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

24.

A capacitor of capacitance C is connected in series with resistance R and a battery of emf . The graph above shows
the charge q on the capacitor approaching a value qmax with increasing time t. What is qmax?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

The circuit shown above has three capacitors and a battery. The capacitors are charged to steady state conditions.

25. What is the potential difference across capacitor ?

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Answer D

Correct. To calculate this, first determine the charge across capacitor . The equivalent
capacitance of the circuit is determined to be:
μ μ μ
μ . Therefore,
μ μ . Capacitors in series have the same charge on them;
thus,
μ
μ , and μ
.

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26.

The circuit shown above has a current of when the switch is open. The switch is then closed. If ,
then after a long time has elapsed, the current in the circuit will be most nearly
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Answer C

Correct. After a long time, the capacitor will be fully charged and no more current can flow through its
branch. So the circuit will be equivalent to the original circuit, and the current will be .

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

27.

Two capacitors, and , are initially uncharged and are connected with a resistor, switch, and battery as shown
in the circuit above. Voltmeters are used to collect data for the potential difference across capacitor and
potential difference across capacitor at regular intervals of time after the switch is closed. The data are
plotted in the graph shown. Which of the following claims supports the results of the experiment?
The capacitors are in series, so the amount of charge stored on each capacitor is always the same, and
(A)
therefore the magnitude of the slope shows that capacitor has twice the capacitance as capacitor .
The capacitors are in series, so the amount of charge stored on each capacitor is always the same, and
(B)
therefore the magnitude of the slope shows that capacitor has half the capacitance as capacitor .
The capacitors are in series, so the current for each capacitor is always the same, and therefore the
(C)
magnitude of the slope shows that capacitor has twice the resistance as capacitor .
The capacitors are in parallel, so the current for capacitor is inversely proportional to the current for
(D) capacitor , and therefore the magnitude of the slope shows that capacitor has half the resistance as
capacitor .
The linear graph indicates that one or both capacitors are not working correctly. The potential difference
(E)
across the capacitors should produce an exponential curve, not a straight-line graph.

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Answer B

Correct. Because the capacitors are being charged in series, they have equal charges at all times. Since
is approximately twice the value of at all times, using the equation , must have
approximately half the value of .

28.

A battery, a resistor, and a capacitor are connected in series as shown above. The values of the resistance and
capacitance are not known. The switch is closed at time . The current is measured for a few seconds, and the
data are recorded in the chart below. Which of the following claims is supported by the data?

(A) The capacitor is being charged, and the resistor has a resistance of .
(B) The capacitor is being charged, and the resistor has a resistance of .
(C) The capacitor is being discharged, and the resistor has a resistance of .
(D) The capacitor is being discharged, and the resistor has a resistance of .
(E) None of these claims can be made without knowing the capacitance of the capacitor.

Answer A

Correct. The current is decreasing so the capacitor is charging. At time , the capacitor is uncharged
and the potential difference across the resistor is equal to the voltage of the battery. Since the current is ,

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

then Ohm's law can be used to calculate the resistance: .

In the circuit shown above, the battery supplies a constant voltage 𝑉 when the switch 𝑆 is closed. The value of the
capacitance is 𝐶 , and the value of the resistances are 𝑅1 and 𝑅2.

29. A long time after the switch has been closed, the current supplied by the battery is

(A) 𝑉⯑(𝑅1 + 𝑅2)

(B) 𝑉⯑𝑅1
(C) 𝑉⯑𝑅2
(D) 𝑉(𝑅1 + 𝑅2)⯑𝑅1𝑅2
(E) zero

30. Immediately after the switch is closed, the current supplied by the battery is
(A) 𝑉/(𝑅1 + 𝑅2)
(B) 𝑉/𝑅1
(C) 𝑉/𝑅2
(D) 𝑉(𝑅1 + 𝑅2) /𝑅1 𝑅2
(E) zero

Switch S in the circuit shown above has been closed for a long time.

31. Which of the following is the correct expression for the current in the resistor?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)
(C)
(D)
(E) Zero

32. Suppose that the switch is opened at time t = 0. Which of the following combinations of a differential equation and
an initial condition can be used to solve for the charge Q( t ) on the upper plate of the capacitor as a function of time
t?

Differential Equation Initial Condition

(A)

Differential Equation Initial Condition

(B)

Differential Equation Initial Condition

(C)

Differential Equation Initial Condition

(D)

Differential Equation Initial Condition

(E)

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33.

Capacitors C1 and C2 are connected as shown in the circuit above. The capacitance of C1 is C, and the capacitance
of C2 is C/3 . The equivalent capacitance between points A and B is CEQ. A dielectric is inserted into capacitor C2 ,
and the equivalent capacitance between points A and B is now 2CEQ . What is the value of the dielectric constant
for this dielectric?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
(E) The value cannot be determined without knowing the value of C.

34. Two identical capacitors, X and Y, are connected in series across a battery. A dielectric material with ⯑ = 5 is
placed in capacitor X. Once equilibrium is reached, how do the potential differences across the two capacitors and
their charges compare?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

Potential Difference Charge

(A)
𝑉x > 𝑉y 𝑄x > 𝑄y

Potential Difference Charge

(B)
𝑉x > 𝑉y 𝑄x = 𝑄y

Potential Difference Charge

(C)
𝑉x = 𝑉y 𝑄x > 𝑄y

Potential Difference Charge

(D)
𝑉x < 𝑉y 𝑄x = 𝑄y

Potential Difference Charge

(E)
𝑉x < 𝑉y 𝑄x < 𝑄y

35.

An air-gap capacitor originally has capacitance C.If a thin sheet of metal is placed halfway between the plates of the
capacitor without touching either plate, as shown above, the effective capacitance is

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A) 4C
(B) 2C
(C) C
(D) C/2
(E) C/4

36.

In the circuit shown above, the 10 µF capacitor is initially uncharged. After the switch S has been closed for a long
time, how much energy is stored in the capacitor?
(A) 0 µJ
(B) 100 µJ
(C) 250 µJ
(D) 500 µJ
(E) 1000 µJ

37.

RC circuits and are shown above. All resistors are identical, and all capacitors are identical. A long time after
the switch is closed in circuit , the electrical potential energy stored in the circuit is . A long time after the
switch is closed in circuit , the electrical potential energy stored in the circuit is

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Answer B

Correct. For circuit , the capacitors are in series. So the equivalent capacitance for the circuit is
. Using the equation for energy stored in a capacitor ,
the energy stored in circuit is . The energy stored in circuit is
.

38.

In the circuits shown, all resistors have the same resistance and all capacitors have the same capacitance .
Which of the following circuits will have the same time constant as the circuit shown in the figure above?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

Answer A

Correct. The reference circuit in the question has resistance and capacitance , resulting in a time
constant . In this option, two resistors in parallel cut the resistance in half, and two capacitors in
parallel double the capacitance. This results in a time constant , which is
identical to the reference circuit.

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39.

Two identical capacitors, Y and Z, are connected in series with an ideal battery, as shown in figure 1 above, and
fully charged. Each capacitor has a dielectric slab of dielectric constant ⯑ > 1 between its plates. If the dielectric
slab is removed from capacitor Z, which of the following describes what happens to the voltage across each
capacitor?
Voltage across Capacitor Y: Increases
(A)
Voltage across Capacitor Z: Decreases
Voltage across Capacitor Y: Increases
(B)
Voltage across Capacitor Z: Increases
Voltage across Capacitor Y: Remains the same
(C)
Voltage across Capacitor Z: Remains the same
Voltage across Capacitor Y: Decreases
(D)
Voltage across Capacitor Z: Decreases
Voltage across Capacitor Y: Decreases
(E)
Voltage across Capacitor Z: Increases

40.

Two identical parallel-plate capacitors are connected in parallel, as shown in Figure . Both capacitors have plates
that are a distance apart and each has a capacitance . The distance between the plates of the upper capacitor is
increased to and the distance between the plates of the lower capacitor is decreased to , as shown in Figure .
The equivalent capacitance of the two capacitors in Figure is

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Answer A

Correct. Since the capacitance of a capacitor is , the equivalent capacitance of the two
capacitors in Figure is given by .

41.

Three capacitors are connected in series to an ideal voltage source and charged, as shown in Figure 1 above. The
capacitors are identical except that capacitor X has air between its plates, whereas capacitors Y and Z each have a
dielectric slab of dielectric constant κ > 1 between their plates. If the dielectric slab is removed from capacitor Z, as
shown in Figure 2, which of the following describes what will happen to the voltage across each capacitor?

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MCQ 11.8 RC circuits

Voltage across Capacitor X Voltage across Capacitor Y Voltage across Capacitor Z

(A)
Increases Increases Decreases

Voltage across Capacitor X Voltage across Capacitor Y Voltage across Capacitor Z

(B)
Increases Decreases Decreases

Voltage across Capacitor X Voltage across Capacitor Y Voltage across Capacitor Z

(C)
Increases Decreases Increases

Voltage across Capacitor X Voltage across Capacitor Y Voltage across Capacitor Z

(D)
Decreases Increases Decreases

Voltage across Capacitor X Voltage across Capacitor Y Voltage across Capacitor Z

(E)
Decreases Decreases Increases

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