Question

a capacitor is charged to a potential of 12.0 v and is then connected to a voltmeter having an internal resistance of 3.90 mω . after a time of 4.50 s the voltmeter reads 3.5 v?

Answer 1

The question involves the discharge of a capacitor with a known initial voltage and the voltage reading after a certain time, which relates to the RC time constant in Physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The discharge of a capacitor through an internal resistance is characterized by an exponential decay of voltage across the capacitor. This involves the concept of an RC time constant (where R stands for resistance and C stands for capacitance), which is fundamental to understanding circuits involving resistors and capacitors. If a capacitor with an initial voltage of 12.0V is connected to a voltmeter with an internal resistance of 3.90 MΩ, and after 4.50 s the voltage reads 3.5 V, one can use the RC time constant formula to determine the capacitor's characteristics, including its initial charge and capacitance.