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Easy Physics Question

Blogs > GrayArea
Post a Reply
GrayArea
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States872 Posts
May 23 2009 06:05 GMT
#1
Another infamous physics blog. Here is my easy question: How do I simplify this RC circuit using only V=IR and C=Q/V if that is even possible.

[image loading]


so the questions are
1) Simplify circuit to find the Current (A)
2) What is the voltage across the capacitor

Thanks

*
Kang Min Fighting!
Mooga
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States575 Posts
May 23 2009 06:18 GMT
#2
You can simplify the circuit only if you are considering the steady state DC response. Are you interested in the transient response or just steady state?
Mooga
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States575 Posts
May 23 2009 06:20 GMT
#3
Oh nevermind, the circuit is closed to begin with. In that case get rid of the capacitor in parallel with the resistor.
Mooga
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States575 Posts
May 23 2009 06:23 GMT
#4
I'm not sure why your circuit has a capacitor in there if there is not switch in the circuit.

The total resistance is 4 ohms, thus the amperage through the circuit is 3 amps. Which gives you 6 volts across the capacitor.
GrayArea
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States872 Posts
May 23 2009 06:26 GMT
#5
On May 23 2009 15:23 Mooga wrote:
I'm not sure why your circuit has a capacitor in there if there is not switch in the circuit.

The total resistance is 4 ohms, thus the amperage through the circuit is 3 amps. Which gives you 6 volts across the capacitor.

Can you show the calculations? I think my answerbook has a typo.
Kang Min Fighting!
Pseudo_Utopia
Profile Blog Joined December 2002
Canada827 Posts
May 23 2009 06:33 GMT
#6
Actually you can simplify it too in AC, it's just a little more complicated. You have to use complex numbers to convert R and C both into complex impedences. It's explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_impedence

But in the DC case, you'll indeed have a 4 amp resistance but only after the capacitor is fully charged. At first, the effective resistance of the parallel branches will be 0, because Q = CV implies that when there is no charge on the capacitor (Q=0), then V=0 and so the capacitor "acts like a wire".

Hope this helps ^^
Retired SchiSm[LighT]
Mooga
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States575 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-05-23 06:36:06
May 23 2009 06:34 GMT
#7
2 + 2 = 4 ohms (resistors in series)

I = V/R, I = 12/4 = 3 amps

V = IR = 3 * 2 = 6 volts

Assuming that the battery is a DC source, then my answer should be right because the capacitor should behave as an open circuit.

Edit: And I'm assuming that it is at steady-state.
GrayArea
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States872 Posts
May 23 2009 06:43 GMT
#8
Thanks Mooga, really appreciate the help. I think they wrote the answer to a wrong circuit in the back for this problem.
Kang Min Fighting!
Mooga
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States575 Posts
May 23 2009 06:52 GMT
#9
On May 23 2009 15:43 GrayArea wrote:
Thanks Mooga, really appreciate the help. I think they wrote the answer to a wrong circuit in the back for this problem.


No problem, good luck with physics.
Saracen
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States5139 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-05-23 07:06:43
May 23 2009 07:02 GMT
#10
the answers depend on the time the circuit has been running btw
above answers are true for t=much

at t=0 the capacitor has stored no charge and acts like a wire, so
Rtot = 2 ohms
Qcap = 0 C
Vcap = 0 V
I = 6 A
Vr1 (top resistor) = 0 V
Vr2 (bottom resistor) = 12 V
fight_or_flight
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States3988 Posts
May 23 2009 07:20 GMT
#11
On May 23 2009 16:02 Saracen wrote:
at t=0 the capacitor has stored no charge and acts like a wire, so

hm, but if you are solving for the transient then I don't see how you can assume this. You will have an equation with 2 variables: time and initial charge/voltage on the capacitor
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