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Transient Voltage Quiz
July 1968 Popular Electronics
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July 1968 Popular Electronics

July 1968 Popular Electronics Cover - RF CafeTable of Contents

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

This "Transient Voltage Quiz" created by Robert Balin appeared in the October 1968 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. Unless you have done a lot of circuit simulation and/or measurement involving RC time constants, most of these circuit - waveform combinations will probably be foreign to you. Voltages, resistance, and capacitances are not given, so assume if there is more than one of any in a given circuit that they are the same value. Also, a "steady state" is generally considered the time of 5 RC time constants. For example if you have a 2 kΩ resistor and a 1 μf capacitor in series, the time constant is 2E3 x 1E-6 = 2E-3, or 2 milliseconds. Therefore, steady state is assumed to be 5 x 2 ms = 10 ms. It is probably safe to infer the "1" and "2" on the graph horizontal scales represent 5 RC time constants apiece. The actual numerical values and units of time are not important here.

Hint (compliments of yours truly): Probably the easiest problem is 10, since it is the only one that starts out in position 1 with the output of the voltage supply (battery) connected directly to the "+" voltage. Assuming prefect components, the internal resistance of the battery is 0 Ω so the presence of a series RC combination across it has no effect. Looking for a graph showing a full scale steady state voltage from time 0 to time 1, you see there is only one like that - graph E. Done.

Transient Voltage Quiz

By Robert P. Balin

Voltages in circuits containing capacitors increase or decrease as the capacitors charge and discharge. These transient voltages may be useful or destructive depending on where or when they occur. To test your knowledge of how transients develop and decay, match the circuits (1 - 10) to the output voltages (A - J). In each case, the switch is held in position 1 until a steady state is reached, then in position 2 for the same length of time. Don't consider differences in component values.

  Transient Voltage Quiz (circuits) - RF Cafe   Transient Voltage Quiz (waveforms) - RF Cafe

 

See answers below.

Quizzes from vintage electronics magazines such as Popular Electronics, Electronics-World, QST, Radio-Electronics, and Radio News were published over the years - some really simple and others not so simple. Robert P. Balin created most of the quizzes for Popular Electronics. This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.

RF Cafe Quizzes

Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transient Voltage Quiz Answers

1 - G

2 - I

3 - F

4 - C

5 - A

6 - D

7 - B

8 - J

9 - H

10 - E
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Kirt Blattenberger - RF Cafe Webmaster

Copyright: 1996 - 2026
Webmaster: Kirt Blattenberger
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About RF Cafe

RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling 2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps while tying up your telephone line, and a lady's voice announced "You've Got Mail" when a new message arrived...

Copyright  1996 - 2026

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