Capacitor problem - Calculate the heat in connecting wires

In summary: That is correct. In summary, the problem involves a 5.0\muF capacitor charged to 12 V and then connected to a 12 V battery with the positive and negative terminals swapped. The task is to calculate the heat developed in the connecting wires, which can be done by considering the initial and final stored energy of the capacitor and applying Kirchoff's Voltage Law. The result is 2CE^2 for both the heat dissipated and the work done by the battery.
  • #1
LHC_23
14
0
Capacitor problem -- Calculate the heat in connecting wires

Homework Statement


A [itex]5.0[/itex][itex]\mu[/itex][itex]F[/itex] capacitor is charged to [itex]12 V[/itex] . The positive plate of this capacitor is now connected to the negative terminal of a [itex]12 V[/itex] battery and vice versa. Calculate the heat developed in the connecting wires.


Homework Equations


[itex]W = QV[/itex]

[itex]E = 0.5CV^2[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution



I know from the above 2 equations that half of the energy supplied by the battery should be lost as heat . But I don't know how to proceed with this problem ?
 
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  • #2
ArkaSengupta said:

Homework Statement


A [itex]5.0[/itex][itex]\mu[/itex][itex]F[/itex] capacitor is charged to [itex]12 V[/itex] . The positive plate of this capacitor is now connected to the negative terminal of a [itex]12 V[/itex] battery and vice versa. Calculate the heat developed in the connecting wires.


Homework Equations


[itex]W = QV[/itex]

[itex]E = 0.5CV^2[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution



I know from the above 2 equations that half of the energy supplied by the battery should be lost as heat.

That statement is incorrect since there is an initial charge on the capacitor.
In this particular case, what is the capacitor stored energy before (t<0) and after (t=∞)? Which says what about the fraction of battery energy lost to heat?

So, back to fundamentals:

You need to write the KVL around the loop including consideration of the initial voltage on C.
This starts as an integral equation in current i but you can make it a 1st order differential equation in i with the appropriate initial condition, getting you i(t), then integrate R∫(i^2)dt from 0 to infinity for the total power dissipation where R is the wire resistance.

There may be a shortcut here using only initial and final capacitor stored energy but I don't see one.
 
  • #3
Hello rude man...

Do you get 2CE2 as the heat dissipated as well as the work done by battery ? Here C is the capacitance and E is the EMF of the battery .
 
  • #4
Tanya Sharma said:
Hello rude man...

Do you get 2CE2 as the heat dissipated as well as the work done by battery ? Here C is the capacitance and E is the EMF of the battery .

It is right.

ehild
 
  • #5
Tanya Sharma said:
Hello rude man...

Do you get 2CE2 as the heat dissipated as well as the work done by battery ? Here C is the capacitance and E is the EMF of the battery .

Yes I do Tanya.
 

1. What is a capacitor?

A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical energy by accumulating opposite electric charges on its two plates. It is commonly used in electronic circuits to filter, tune, or store electrical energy.

2. Why is heat generated in connecting wires when a capacitor is in use?

Heat is generated in connecting wires due to the flow of electrical current through the wires. As the current passes through the wires, some of the electrical energy is converted into heat energy, which causes the wires to heat up.

3. How can the heat generated in connecting wires be calculated?

The heat generated in connecting wires can be calculated using the formula Q = I^2 x R x t, where Q is the heat energy, I is the current, R is the resistance of the wires, and t is the time. This formula is known as Joule's Law.

4. What factors can affect the amount of heat generated in connecting wires?

The amount of heat generated in connecting wires can be affected by the current flowing through the wires, the resistance of the wires, and the duration of time the current is passing through the wires. Higher current and longer duration will result in more heat being generated, while lower resistance will result in less heat being generated.

5. How can the heat generated in connecting wires be minimized?

The heat generated in connecting wires can be minimized by using wires with lower resistance, increasing the thickness of the wires to reduce resistance, and limiting the duration of time the current is passing through the wires. It is also important to properly size and design the circuit to ensure that the wires are not overloaded with excessive current.

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