In this article, you will learn about charging and discharging a capacitor. When a voltage is applied on a capacitor it puts a charge in the capacitor. This charge gets accumulated between the metal plates of the capacitor. The accumulation of charge results in a buildup of potential difference across the capacitor plates.
harges, electrons flow onto one plate and move off the other plate. This process will be continued until the potential difference across th capacitor is equal to the potential difference across the battery. Because the current changes throughout charging, the rate of flow of charge will not be linear.At the start, the
capacitor is equal to the potential difference across the battery. Because the current changes throughout charging, the rate of flow of charge will not be linear.At the start, the current will be at its highest but will graduall decrease to zero. The following graphs summarise capacitor charge. The potential diffe
Because the current changes throughout charging, the rate of flow of charge will not be linear. At the start, the current will be at its highest but will gradually decrease to zero. The following graphs summarise capacitor charge. The potential difference and charge graphs look the same because they are proportional.
As charge flows from one plate to the other through the resistor the charge is neutralised and so the current falls and the rate of decrease of potential difference also falls. Eventually the charge on the plates is zero and the current and potential difference are also zero - the capacitor is fully discharged.
The negative plate repels electrons, which are attracted to the positive plate through the wire until the positive and negative charges are neutralized. Then there is no net charge. The capacitor is completely discharged, the voltage across it equals zero, and there is no discharge current. Now the capacitor is in the same uncharged condition.