Discharging a capacitor means releasing the stored electrical charge. Let’s look at an example of how a capacitor discharges. We connect a charged capacitor with a capacitance of C farads in series with a resistor of resistance R ohms. We then short-circuit this series combination by closing the switch.
Capacitor Discharge Graph: The capacitor discharge graph shows the exponential decay of voltage and current over time, eventually reaching zero. What is Discharging a Capacitor? Discharging a capacitor means releasing the stored electrical charge. Let’s look at an example of how a capacitor discharges.
Discharging a Capacitor Definition: Discharging a capacitor is defined as releasing the stored electrical charge within the capacitor. Circuit Setup: A charged capacitor is connected in series with a resistor, and the circuit is short-circuited by a switch to start discharging.
Consider a circuit having a capacitance C and a resistance R which are joined in series with a battery of emf ε through a Morse key K, as shown in the figure. When the key is pressed, the capacitor begins to store charge. If at any time during charging, I is the current through the circuit and Q is the charge on the capacitor, then
C affects the discharging process in that the greater the capacitance, the more charge a capacitor can hold, thus, the longer it takes to discharge, which leads to a greater voltage, V C. Conversely, a smaller capacitance value leads to a quicker discharge, since the capacitor can't hold as much charge, and thus, the lower V C at the end.
Wait for the calculated discharge time based on the capacitor's specifications. Verify the voltage with a multimeter to ensure complete discharge. Using a Light Bulb: Connect a light bulb with appropriate power rating to the capacitor terminals. The bulb will glow as the capacitor discharges, and will go out when fully discharged.