RC Circuit: Time Dependency on Capacitance & Resistance

AI Thread Summary
In a series RC circuit, the time constant, defined as the product of resistance (R) and capacitance (C), determines the charging and discharging time. While the voltage and current in the circuit change exponentially over time, the time required to reach specific voltage levels is linearly proportional to the time constant. For instance, it takes a time of RC to reach 50% of the final voltage. This relationship clarifies the distinction between the exponential nature of voltage/current changes and the linear dependency of time on capacitance and resistance. Understanding this concept is crucial for analyzing RC circuit behavior effectively.
jaejoon89
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Why is time in a series RC circuit linearly dependent on capacitance as charging/discharging time is increased? (same with resistance) I thought RC circuits were exponential.
 
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Please don't think I'm being rude. I'm just picky. I want to be helpful, but I'm getting sleepy, so this will be terse.



jaejoon89 said:
Why is time in a series RC circuit linearly dependent on capacitance as charging/discharging time is increased?
I can only assume that you mean "time constant" for the first "time" in this sentence. This is just a consequence of the very simple definition.



jaejoon89 said:
I thought RC circuits were exponential.
This doesn't mean anything. Perhaps you mean that the dependence of the value of some electrical property depends exponentially on time?
 
Or to put it another way:

The voltage and current are exponential functions of time.

The time required for the voltage or current to reach a specific value is proportional to RC. For example, the time in which the capacitor voltage reaches 50% of its final value.
 

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