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T=0.5 Measuring the Time Constant tau As you have seen, current always decays ex

ID: 2089144 • Letter: T

Question

T=0.5

Measuring the Time Constant tau As you have seen, current always decays exponentially in RC circuits with a time constant tau: I = I0 exp(-t/tau) . We will measure this time constant in two different ways. After measuring the current as a function of time we choose two points on the curve (t1, I1) and (t2,I2). What relationship must we choose between I2 and I1 in order to determine the time constant by subtraction: tau = t2 - t1? Should we be able to find a t2 that satisfies this for any choice of t1? We can also plot the natural log of the current vs. time, as shown at right. If we fit a line to this curve we will obtain a slope m and a y-intercept b. From these fitting parameters, how can we calculate the time constant? Which of these two methods is more likely to help us obtain an accurate measurement of the time constant? Why?

Explanation / Answer

what should we find out? please complete the question