A-Level Physics Specification

OCR A H556

Section 6.1.3: Charging and discharging capacitors

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#6.1.3a

(i) charging and discharging capacitor through a resistor

(ii) techniques and procedures to investigate the charge and the discharge of a capacitor using both meters and data-loggers

PAG9

#6.1.3b

time constant of a capacitor–resistor circuit;
\(τ = CR \)

#6.1.3c

equations of the form \(x = x_0e^{-t/(CR)} \) and \(x = x_0\Big(1 - e^{-t/(CR)}\Big)\) for capacitor–resistor circuits

Learners will be expected to know how lnx–t graphs can be used to determine CR.

#6.1.3d

graphical methods and spreadsheet modelling of the equation \(\dfrac{ΔQ}{Δt} = -\dfrac{Q}{CR} \) for a discharging capacitor

#6.1.3e

exponential decay graph; constant-ratio property of such a graph.