The discussion revolves around a circuit containing a battery, two resistors, a switch, and a capacitor. Participants are exploring the behavior of the circuit when a voltage is applied, specifically focusing on the current through the resistors and the charge on the capacitor over time.
Several participants have provided insights into the behavior of the circuit, including the initial and steady-state conditions of the capacitor. There is ongoing exploration of the mathematical relationships governing the circuit, with some participants suggesting the use of differential equations to describe current and voltage over time.
Participants mention constraints such as a lack of available resources for studying the circuit and the assumption that the capacitor starts with no charge at time t=0. The discussion also touches on the ideal behavior of components like the voltmeter.
gneill said:That is the "starting from the basics" approach, yes.
One writes the circuit equations using the differential or integral forms for the capacitor voltage or current, then solve the resulting differential equation. So for example, for the simple case of a charged capacitor discharging through a resistor, writing KCL:johann1301h said:How does one go about finding the differential equation?