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Question no. 25233

What is the formula used to calculate the time constant of a series R-C circuit____________?

Select your answer for: What is the formula used to calculate the time constant of a series R-C circuit____________?
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Answer: C. RC

Explanation

The time constant formula for a series resistor-capacitor circuit is resistance multiplied by capacitance. Resistance is measured in ohms and capacitance is measured in farads to yield seconds. This product determines how rapidly the capacitor charges toward the applied voltage level. Exponential charging rates depend directly on both circuit resistance and storage capacity. Larger resistors limit charging current while larger capacitors store more electrical charge. Dimensional analysis confirms ohms multiplied by farads results directly in units of time.

Electronic timer circuits select specific resistor and capacitor values to achieve desired delays. Flash memory devices rely on controlled RC charging principles for data storage operations. Power supply decoupling networks use time constants to stabilize transient voltage fluctuations. Dividing resistance by capacitance yields incorrect units and does not calculate time constants. Squaring the capacitance value creates an invalid mathematical relationship for time constants. Squaring the resistance value distorts the linear relationship between resistance and charging time.

Subject
Engineering
Topic
—
Difficulty
medium

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