Activity 29.2.1. Predictions.
The circuit below contains a battery, a resistor, a switch, and a capacitor. The capacitor is initially uncharged and the voltage of the battery is \(V\text{.}\)
(a)
Just after the switch is closed: what is the absolute value of the voltage across the capacitor? Explain your reasoning.
(b)
A long time after the switch is closed: what is the absolute value of the voltage across the capacitor? Explain your reasoning.
(c)
Sketch a graph predicting the current through the circuit as a function of time, starting at \(t = 0\text{.}\) Comment on the value of the current in the limit as \(t \rightarrow \infty\text{.}\)
(d)
How does this circuit seem different from when the capacitor discharged instead? How is it similar?
(e)
Try building this circuit in the “RLC” tab of the Circuits PhET simulation to check your predictions. You can use the current chart feature on the left to view a graph of the current.
