5F30.10 • RC Circuits: Capacitor and a Light Bulb

Location: Cabinet 2

Photo Shows the Demonstration Used by the University of Texas at Austin.

Instructions / Notes:

• Included is a simple RC circuit, with a light bulb, 1 farad capacitor & a 6 volt battery.
• The light bulb acts as both a resistor and a current indicator.
• The bulb will glow brightly only at the start of the charging or discharging curve.
• Turn the light switch off before discharging the capacitor.
• A multimeter is included with the demonstration to view the actual voltage across the capacitor. The voltage across the capacitor should increase once the light switch is turned on, and decrease while the discharge button is held.
• This is a good introductory demo to accomapny our RC Constant on a Scope demonstration.

Last updated on June 8, 2026