Capacitor problem - Calculate the heat in connecting wires

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a 5.0μF capacitor charged to 12 V, which is then connected in reverse to a 12 V battery. Participants are tasked with calculating the heat developed in the connecting wires during this process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the energy equations related to capacitors and batteries, questioning the initial assumptions about energy loss. There is an exploration of the stored energy in the capacitor before and after the connection, and the implications for heat dissipation.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various interpretations being explored. Some participants suggest using Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) to analyze the circuit, while others propose a potential shortcut involving the initial and final stored energy of the capacitor. There is no explicit consensus on the approach to take.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of considering the initial charge on the capacitor and the resistance of the wires in their calculations. There is mention of the need for an integral equation in current to fully understand the power dissipation.

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Capacitor problem -- Calculate the heat in connecting wires

Homework Statement


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


Homework Equations


W = QV

E = 0.5CV^2

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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ArkaSengupta said:

Homework Statement


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


Homework Equations


W = QV

E = 0.5CV^2

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.
 
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 .
 
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
 
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.
 

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