Capacitors and RC Circuits

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to capacitors and RC circuits, essential for understanding their functioning and characteristics.

Capacitor

A device consisting of two parallel plates that store electrical energy in an electric field.

Capacitance

The ability of a capacitor to store charge per unit of voltage, measured in Farads (F).

Potential Energy (U)

The energy stored in a capacitor, often formulated as U = 1/2 CV².

Equivalent Capacitance (Ceq)

The total capacitance of a combination of capacitors in a circuit.

RC Circuit

A circuit containing both a resistor (R) and a capacitor (C) that can slow down the charging or discharging process.

Charge (Q)

The amount of electricity stored in a capacitor.

Voltage (V)

The electrical potential difference between the terminals of a capacitor.

Time Constant (τ)

The time it takes for a capacitor to charge to approximately 63.2% of its maximum voltage, calculated as τ = RC.

Kirchhoff's Law

A principle stating the total current entering a junction equals the total current leaving the junction.

Discharging

The process of releasing stored energy from a capacitor into a circuit.

Charging

The process of storing energy in a capacitor as charge builds up across its plates.

Exponential Decay

The process by which the voltage or current across a capacitor decreases over time following a mathematical exponential function.