What is the voltage across the capacitor (Vc) at time t = 200 ms after switching the RC circuit from position A to position B?

To find the voltage across the capacitor (Vc) at time t = 200 ms, we first need to understand the behavior of the RC circuit when the switch is moved from position A to position B.

When the switch has been in position A for a long time, the capacitor is fully charged to the voltage of the source, which is given as Vb = 3.35 V. At t = 0 ms, when the switch is moved to position B, the capacitor will start to discharge through the resistor.

The formula to find the voltage across the capacitor during discharge is:
Vc(t) = Vb * e^(-t/(R*C))

Where:

  • Vc(t) is the voltage across the capacitor at time t.
  • Vb is the initial voltage across the capacitor, 3.35 V.
  • R is the resistance, 495.5 ohms.
  • C is the capacitance, 4.00 µF (which is 4.00 x 10^-6 F).
  • t is the time in seconds.

Substituting the values:

  • R = 495.5 ohms
  • C = 4.00 x 10^-6 F
  • t = 200 ms = 0.200 seconds

First, calculate the time constant (τ):

τ = R * C = 495.5 * (4.00 x 10^-6) = 0.001982 seconds (or 1.982 ms).

Now, substituting values into the formula:

Vc(0.200) = 3.35 * e^(-0.200 / 0.001982)

Calculating the exponent:

-0.200 / 0.001982 = -100.908

Now, using a calculator to find e^(-100.908), we get a very small number, approximately 1.7 x 10^-44.

So we can now calculate Vc:

Vc(0.200) ≈ 3.35 * 1.7 x 10^-44 ≈ approximately 0 V.

Therefore, at time t = 200 ms, the voltage across the capacitor (Vc) is effectively 0 V because it has discharged nearly completely.

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