5F30.20 • RC Circuits: RC Time Constant on Scope

Photo of the Demonstration at the University of Texas at Austin.

Instructions:

• Faculty may change the demo from its default setup. However, please Clamp demo to the table with a large C-clamp.
• However, if faculty run into any issues with the demonstration they may double check that the oscilloscope is set to a vertical scale of 500 mV / division and horizontal scale of 500 ms / division. Also ensure the voltage on the power supply is below 2.5 V.
• Briefly push down and release the red momentary button on the circuit board
• To demonstrate the affect of resistance on the system, adjust the resistance on the board and press the button once more.

Concepts Conveyed:

• This demo consists of an oscilloscope, a circuit board with 4 different resistors and a 330 uF capacitor.

Demo Staff Notes:

• After transferring demo to the classroom, turn on the oscilloscope to adjust the settings for faculty
• Ensure the oscilloscope is set to 500 mV / division for the vertical scale and 500 ms / division for the horizontal scale.
• Set the voltage on the power supply below 2.5 V.

Close up of the circuit used at the University of Texas at Austin.

Last updated on October 12, 2023