Is 1 Second Equal to 1 Ohm Times 1 Farad in RC Circuits?

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SUMMARY

The discussion confirms that in RC circuits, the time constant is indeed expressed in seconds, establishing the relationship 1 second = 1 Ohm x 1 Farad. Participants emphasize the importance of expanding Ohm and Farad into base units to demonstrate this equivalence clearly. Ohm's Law and the relationships between charge (Q), capacitance (C), and voltage (V) are crucial for understanding these dimensions. The consensus is that while technician suggestions may simplify the process, a thorough dimensional analysis is essential for clarity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Ohm's Law
  • Familiarity with the concepts of capacitance (Farad)
  • Knowledge of resistance (Ohm)
  • Basic grasp of dimensional analysis in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Expand on dimensional analysis in electrical circuits
  • Learn about the relationship between charge, capacitance, and voltage (Q, C, V)
  • Study the derivation of the time constant in RC circuits
  • Explore Faraday's Law and its implications in circuit analysis
USEFUL FOR

Electrical engineers, physics students, and anyone interested in understanding the fundamental principles of RC circuits and their time constants.

Zifles
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How can I show that the RC circuit has dimensions of time? 1 second = 1ohm x 1farad?
 
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Expand out Ohm and Farad in terms of base units and simplify.
 
time constant = R x C
 
DaleSpam said:
Expand out Ohm and Farad in terms of base units and simplify.
Ohm's Law and the well-known relation between Q,C & V will help with that.

Or use technician's suggestion, but somehow that feels like a cheat to me.
 
Redbelly98 said:
Ohm's Law and the well-known relation between Q,C & V will help with that.

Or use technician's suggestion, but somehow that feels like a cheat to me.
I agree! The time constant confirms that RC must be seconds but you do need to determine the dimensions of R and C.
You have a similar post regarding volts, webers and seconds. Faradays law gets you started but here also the quantities webers, volts etc need to be expressed as dimensions
 

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