Do RC Circuits Stop Current Flow Through Capacitors Initially?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of current in an RC circuit when connected to a DC voltage source. Participants explore the initial conditions of current flow through resistors and capacitors, referencing a specific circuit example from a textbook.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the claim from the textbook that no current flows through the resistor R1 and capacitor C1 in the circuit, suggesting that according to Ohm's law, current should be present in both loops.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on the circuit diagram, indicating a need for visual confirmation.
  • A participant recalls that DC voltage supplies produce zero current through capacitors, but later specifies that this is true after the time constant, implying that there is an initial current flow.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the behavior of current in the circuit, with some asserting that there is initially a current while others reference the textbook's claim of no current flow. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the initial conditions of current flow through the capacitor.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights assumptions about the behavior of capacitors in DC circuits and the implications of time constants, but does not resolve the specifics of these assumptions or their impact on current flow.

Moneer81
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While working on an example in my Circuit Analysis textbook, I came upon the following circuit: A 9v battery is connected to a resistor R1 (this is the left loop of the circuit). It is also connected to a resistor R2 and a capacitor C1 that are in series (that is the right loop). The authors are claiming that no current flows through R1 and C1. Is that true? aren't we suppose to see a current flowing through both loops according to Ohm's law?
 
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is this the circuit?
 
oh never mind I just remembered that DC voltage supplies produce zero currents through capacitors
 
Moneer81 said:
oh never mind I just remembered that DC voltage supplies produce zero currents through capacitors

after the time constant yes, but initially there is a current
 

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