How to Build an RC Circuit

An RC circuit, a circuit that consists of a resistor and a capacitor, is used in many electronic circuit design applications. One of the primary applications of an RC circuit is a low-pass filter. In such circuits the values of the resistor and the capacitor are used to remove high-frequency components from an electronic waveform like an audio signal. RC circuits are also used to build delay and timer circuits. And that's because the values of the resistor and the capacitor set the amount of time it takes the capacitor to charge to a certain voltage level. .

Things You'll Need

  • Resistor
  • Capacitor
  • Waveform generator
  • Oscilloscope
  • Electronic breadboard
  • Wire
  • Leads and clips
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Instructions

    • 1

      Insert one lead of the resistor into the peg hole of your electronic bread board. Call the column of peg holes that this lead is placed into the "signal input" column. Insert the other lead of the resistor into another peg hole that is in a different column on the electronic bread board. Call the column the "signal output" column. Don't use two peg holes that are in the same column of bread board (columns in bread boards are wired together).

    • 2

      Insert one lead of the capacitor into a peg hole that is in the same column of peg holes that your resistor lead was inserted into. Insert the other lead of the capacitor into a peg hole that is in a column of its own. Name this column the "ground" column.

    • 3

      Insert the exposed end of an insulated wire into a peg hole that is in the "ground" column in the breadboard. Insert the other end of the breadboard wire into a breadboard row that is on the perimeter of the breadboard. Call this row the "source ground" row.

    • 4

      Insert the exposed end of another wire into a peg hole that is in the "signal input" column in the breadboard. Connect the other end of the breadboard wire into a breadboard row that is on the perimeter of the breadboard. Call this row the "signal input" row.

    • 5

      Connect the positive terminal of the waveform generator with a lead to the "signal input" row on the breadboard. Connect the negative (ground) terminal of the waveform generator with a lead to the "ground" row on the breadboard.

    • 6

      Connect the positive terminal of an oscilloscope with a lead to the "signal output" row on the breadboard. Connect the negative (ground) terminal of the oscilloscope with a lead to the "ground" row on the breadboard.

    • 7

      Turn on the power to the waveform generator and the oscilloscope. Increase the frequency of the waveform generator (starting at 0 Hertz) and increase the frequency. Observe the output of the waveform on the oscilloscope. Note that as you increase frequency of the input signal the amplitude of the output waveform decreases.

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