RC Time Constant Calculator

Calculate the time constant, charging and discharging behavior of RC circuits. This calculator helps you determine the time constant, voltage, charge, and time relationships in resistor-capacitor circuits.

Input Parameters

Resistance (R)

Capacitance (C)

Calculation Mode

Target Percentage

Initial Voltage

About RC Time Constant

RC Time Constant Overview

The RC time constant is a measure of how quickly a capacitor will charge or discharge through a resistor in an RC circuit. It is defined as the product of resistance (R) and capacitance (C).

When a voltage is applied to an RC circuit, the capacitor doesn't charge instantly. Similarly, when a charged capacitor is allowed to discharge through a resistor, it doesn't discharge instantly. The time constant helps characterize this behavior.

Time Constant Definition

$$\tau = R \times C$$

The time constant (τ) is measured in seconds and represents the time it takes for the capacitor to charge to approximately 63.2% of the final value or discharge to approximately 36.8% of the initial value.

Charging Process

During charging, the voltage across the capacitor increases exponentially:

After 1τ: Charged to 63.2% of final voltage
After 3τ: Charged to 95.0% of final voltage
After 5τ: Charged to 99.3% of final voltage

Discharging Process

During discharging, the voltage across the capacitor decreases exponentially:

After 1τ: Discharged to 36.8% of initial voltage
After 3τ: Discharged to 5.0% of initial voltage
After 5τ: Discharged to 0.7% of initial voltage

RC Time Constant Overview

The RC time constant is a measure of how quickly a capacitor will charge or discharge through a resistor in an RC circuit. It is defined as the product of resistance (R) and capacitance (C).

Time Constant Definition

$$\tau = R \times C$$

Charging Process

During charging, the voltage across the capacitor increases exponentially:

After 1τ: Charged to 63.2% of final voltage
After 3τ: Charged to 95.0% of final voltage
After 5τ: Charged to 99.3% of final voltage

Discharging Process

During discharging, the voltage across the capacitor decreases exponentially:

After 1τ: Discharged to 36.8% of initial voltage
After 3τ: Discharged to 5.0% of initial voltage
After 5τ: Discharged to 0.7% of initial voltage

RC Circuit Formulas

Mathematical expressions for RC circuit behavior

Time Constant

$$\tau = R \times C$$

The time constant (τ) is the product of resistance and capacitance:

Charging Voltage

$$V(t) = V_f \times (1 - e^{-t/\tau})$$

The voltage across the capacitor during charging is:

V(t) = Voltage across capacitor at time t
V_f = Final voltage (source voltage)
t = Time elapsed since charging began
τ = Time constant (R×C)

Discharging Voltage

$$V(t) = V_i \times e^{-t/\tau}$$

The voltage across the capacitor during discharging is:

V(t) = Voltage across capacitor at time t
V_i = Initial voltage (fully charged voltage)
t = Time elapsed since discharging began
τ = Time constant (R×C)

Charging Current

$$I(t) = \frac{V_f}{R} \times e^{-t/\tau}$$

The current through the resistor during charging decreases exponentially over time.

Charge on Capacitor

$$Q(t) = C \times V_f \times (1 - e^{-t/\tau})$$

The charge accumulated on the capacitor during charging increases exponentially.

Time to Reach a Percentage

$$t = -\tau \times \ln(1 - \frac{P}{100})$$

To calculate the time required to reach a specific percentage P of the final value during charging:

Common examples:

For 63.2%: t = 1τ
For 86.5%: t = 2τ
For 95.0%: t = 3τ
For 99.3%: t = 5τ

RC Circuit Examples

Practical examples of RC time constant calculations

Example 1: Voltage at a Specific Time

A 10 kΩ resistor is connected in series with a 100 μF capacitor. If a 5V source is applied to the circuit, what is the voltage across the capacitor after 0.5 seconds?

Solution:

First, calculate the time constant:

$$\tau = R \times C = 10\text{ k}\Omega \times 100\text{ }\mu\text{F} = 1\text{ s}$$

Now, calculate the voltage at t = 0.5 seconds using the charging voltage formula:

$$V(0.5\text{ s}) = 5\text{ V} \times (1 - e^{-0.5/1}) = 5\text{ V} \times (1 - e^{-0.5}) \approx 5\text{ V} \times (1 - 0.607) \approx 1.97\text{ V}$$

Therefore, after 0.5 seconds, the voltage across the capacitor is approximately 1.97V.

Example 2: Time to Reach a Percentage

An RC circuit consists of a 470 kΩ resistor and a 10 μF capacitor. How long will it take for the capacitor to charge to 95% of the final voltage?

Solution:

First, calculate the time constant:

$$\tau = R \times C = 470\text{ k}\Omega \times 10\text{ }\mu\text{F} = 4.7\text{ s}$$

Now, calculate the time to reach 95% using the time to percentage formula:

$$t = -\tau \times \ln(1 - \frac{P}{100}) = -4.7\text{ s} \times \ln(1 - \frac{95}{100}) = -4.7\text{ s} \times \ln(0.05) \approx 14.1\text{ s}$$

Therefore, it will take approximately 14.1 seconds for the capacitor to charge to 95% of the final voltage.

Example 3: Finding Capacitance

In an RC circuit with a 4.7 kΩ resistor, the voltage across a discharging capacitor drops from 12V to 3V in 2 ms. What is the capacitance value?

Solution:

First, find the time constant using the discharging voltage formula rearranged:

$$\tau = \frac{t}{-\ln(\frac{V(t)}{V_i})} = \frac{2\text{ ms}}{-\ln(\frac{3\text{ V}}{12\text{ V}})} = \frac{2\text{ ms}}{-\ln(0.25)} \approx \frac{2\text{ ms}}{-(-1.39)} \approx 1.44\text{ ms}$$

Now, calculate the capacitance:

$$C = \frac{\tau}{R} = \frac{1.44\text{ ms}}{4.7\text{ k}\Omega} \approx 306\text{ nF}$$

Therefore, the capacitance is approximately 306 nF.

Applications of RC Circuits

Practical uses of RC time constants in electronics

RC circuits are fundamental building blocks in electronics and have numerous applications across various fields:

Timing Circuits

RC circuits are used in timing applications where precise time delays are needed:

555 timer circuits for generating precise time delays
Pulse width modulation (PWM) controllers

Filters

RC circuits can filter signals based on frequency:

Low-pass filters that allow low frequencies to pass while blocking high frequencies
High-pass filters that allow high frequencies to pass while blocking low frequencies

Power Supply Smoothing

RC circuits help smooth out voltage fluctuations:

Smoothing capacitors in power supplies to reduce ripple voltage
Decoupling capacitors to filter out noise in electronic circuits

Signal Processing

RC circuits are used in various signal processing applications:

Integrator and differentiator circuits
Coupling and decoupling in audio and radio frequency circuits

Related Calculators

Voltage Drop Calculator Capacitance Calculator Ohms Law Calculator Resistor Calculator