Find the Voltage in the parallel resistor-capacitor circuit

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a parallel resistor-capacitor circuit involving two capacitors (C1 and C2) and two resistors (R1 and R2). The original poster presents a series of questions related to current, voltage, and charge in the circuit, with specific values provided for each component.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the effect of capacitors on current flow, questioning how a capacitor behaves in a DC circuit. There are discussions about voltage references and how to measure voltages relative to different points in the circuit.
  • Some participants inquire about the relationship between voltages at different nodes (Vb, Vc, Vd) and the implications of setting one voltage to zero.
  • Questions arise regarding the values of the capacitors and their impact on the circuit's behavior, particularly in terms of charge accumulation and voltage differences when the switch is closed.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights and asking clarifying questions. Some guidance has been offered regarding the nature of voltage measurements and the behavior of capacitors in the circuit. Multiple interpretations of the voltage relationships are being explored, particularly concerning the reference points for measuring voltage.

Contextual Notes

There is some uncertainty regarding the values of the capacitors, specifically whether C2 is indeed 8 millifarads or 8 microfarads. Participants are also navigating the implications of the switch being open or closed and how that affects the circuit's behavior.

  • #31
CWatters said:
I do not understand your question. In some places you say "voltage" when you mean "current"?

Please see the graph in #21.

1) With switch open..
The voltage on node D (with respect to C) = 8V.
The voltage on node B (with respect to C) = 4V.

2) When the switch is closed...
Node D is connected to node B. This means node D and B must have the same voltage. How do we decide if this is 8V or 4V? I will explain how..The voltage on node D cannot change instantly because of the capacitors...

Q=CV
differentiate
dQ/dt = C dV/dt

dV/dt cannot be very large because it would need a very large current (dQ/dt).

If the voltage on node D cannot change quickly then the voltage on node B must change because they are connected by the switch. So what happens is the voltage on node B shoots up from 4V to 8V. So now both node D and B become 8V. This is shown in the middle of the graph.

3) After that the resistors keep trying to "pull" the voltage on node D/B from 8V back down to 4V. This is the curved part of the graph in #21.

During the curved part of the graph current flows like this..
View attachment 221974
4) After some time the nodes D and B reach 4V and the two current shown stop flowing.
Thanks for the explanation. After the current stop flowing after that what will happen? Is the electricity continue? Is it what called AC?
 
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  • #32
After current stops flowing through the switch there will still be some current flowing from the battery through R1 & R2 and back to the battery. The current will be the same as calculated at the start (eg 1A).

There will be no current flowing through the capacitors.

This is nothing to do with AC.
 
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