Am I Measuring the Current and Voltage Correctly in this Circuit?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a circuit involving capacitors C1, C2, and C3, where C3 is in parallel with C1 and C2 in series. The original poster is attempting to measure the current arriving at the capacitors and the voltage across capacitor C2 before they are fully charged.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants question the absence of resistors in the circuit and whether the original poster is measuring current correctly. There is also a suggestion to clarify if the task is about measuring current or charge. Some participants express uncertainty about the nature of the exercise, whether it is a practical experiment or a simulation.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing with various interpretations being explored. Some participants have provided insights regarding the implications of having no resistors and the instantaneous charging of capacitors in a DC circuit. The original poster has indicated that their setup was ultimately correct for the exercise.

Contextual Notes

There is a lack of information regarding the component values and the specific nature of the exercise, whether it is theoretical or practical. The original poster's instructions appear to be limited, leading to questions about the measurement techniques and tools available.

ft92
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Homework Statement


Wire up a circuit with C3 in parallel with C1 and C2 in series. You will need to measure the current arriving at the capacitors (before they are fully charged) and the voltage across capacitor C2.

The Attempt at a Solution


I'm not sure if I'm measuring the current before the capacitors are fully charged. Can anyone help me?
thanks
 

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What are the component values? No resistors in the circuit? The capacitors will be charged instantly then.Are you sure you are asked to find the current and not the charge?
 
no, there are no resistor. that are all the instructions I have.
 
ft92 said:
no, there are no resistor. that are all the instructions I have.
Then I think you are asked to find the charge arriving on each capacitor. This is a dc circuit containing capacitors. Since there is no resistance involved, all the capacitors will be charged instantly,hence the current will cease instantly. You can find the charge in terms of C1, C2, C3 and voltage V.
 
ft92 said:
no, there are no resistor. that are all the instructions I have.
Is this in preparation for an actual experiment using wires, etc., or is this for a computer simulation, or is it some sort of thought exercise?

The typical meter is very limited in what it can reveal about a fast-changing current or voltage, other means may be needed.
 
ft92 said:
no, there are no resistor. that are all the instructions I have.

Is the page of text to the left of your sketch circuit related to the question? Perhaps you could post that?

Does your current meter have a "peak hold" feature?
 
thank you everybody but my draw was correct eventually :) It was just an online exercise where I had to drag and drop the capacitors and voltmeter in the right place.
 
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