- #1
flyingpig
- 2,579
- 1
Homework Statement
Again this is another lab problem, but this time it is even more scary because my measurements and calculation match, which shouldn't because my calculation is wrong.
Data CollectedProcedure said:Charge a capacitor C1 3300uF to some voltage V1i, disconnect it from the supply and connect it in parallel with the second capacitor C2, which is initially uncharged. When the capacitors are again separated what will the final voltage across each capacitor be?
C1i = 3300uF
C2i = 2200uF
V1i = 6.00V
V2i = 0
V1f = 3.5V
V2f = 3.2V
Prediction
In my notebook I had
[tex](I) C_1 = Q \Delta V_1[/tex]
[tex](II) C_2 = Q \Delta V_2[/tex]
Divided (I) by (II)
[tex] \frac{C_1}{C_2} = \frac{\Delta V_1}{\Delta V_2}[/tex]
[tex] \frac{C_1}{C_2} = \frac{V_{1f} - 6.00V}{V_{2f} - 0}[/tex]
Now somehow I got from that equation to
[tex]\frac{C_1 V_{1i}}{C_1 + C_2} = V_{2f}[/tex]
Which looks like a conservation of charge equation
Then the results I got were
V1f = 3.6V
V2f = 3.6V
The Headache
Someone I assumed that the charge were the same in a parallel circuit and I did the math. Now I don't know what happened, but I got 3.5V and 3.2V, which is really close to my measurements and now I am scared. WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED?
I know this is a very bad question asking "figure it out for me", but I am at my limits here