How can I accurately time a circuit without a stopwatch?

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To accurately time the delay of a light bulb in a circuit with a resistor and capacitor, using an oscilloscope is recommended. The oscilloscope can capture the voltage change as the bulb turns on, allowing for precise measurement of the time delay. Theoretical methods for timing this delay exist in control science literature, but practical experimental methods may have accuracy limitations. The discussion also raises a question about the necessity of knowing the time lag in the circuit's operation. Accurate timing can enhance understanding of circuit behavior and performance.
I_love_Physics
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i basically have a circuit using a resistor and a capacitor as a potential divider. i have the output as a light bulb and i am timing how long it takes for the light bulb to come on. how can i time this accurately without using a stop clock?
 
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there are some theoretical ways to time this delay. You can see it in details in any books relating to the control sciences. But I'm affraid about the existence of any experimental method (because of the your accuracy limits).
Anyway, Good Luck!
Somy
 
i think what i would try is to just hook up the output to an oscilloscope. The scope will read a zero before you hit the switch and high voltage once the bulb is on and since this isn't instantaneous, you could zoom into the area where the graph slopes up from a low to high voltage (there are cursors so it should be easy)
 
Well there is a time delay in any electronic device! Let me ask you another question. Why you need to know that time lag?
 

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