Question

What is the time period required for a capacitor to reach full charge?

Option 1: Instantaneously
Option 2: Depends on the capacitance and voltage
Option 3: Depends on the resistance in the circuit
Option 4: Depends on the type of dielectric material used

Answer 1

The time required for a capacitor to reach full charge depends on the resistance in the circuit and the capacitor's capacitance. The product of these two factors is known as the time constant, which determines the charging rate of the capacitor. After about 5 time constants, the capacitor is considered to be fully charged.

Step-by-step explanation:

The time period required for a capacitor to reach full charge is not instantaneous but depends on the resistance in the circuit and the capacitance of the capacitor. This is described by the time constant τ (tau), which is the product of resistance (R) and capacitance (C), given by the equation τ = RC. The time constant represents the time it takes for the voltage across the capacitor to reach approximately 63% of its maximum value during charging. A fully charged state is typically considered to be after about 5 time constants, which is when the capacitor reaches over 99% of the full charge.