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AP Physics C: E&M
11.8 Resistor Capacitor (RC) Circuits
11.7 Kirchhoff’s Junction Rule
11.6 Kirchhoff’s Loop Rule
IntermediateMCQMathematicalConceptual23.8k
Circuit with two identical resistors, a capacitor, and an ideal battery.
Circuit with two identical resistors, a capacitor, and an ideal battery.
In the circuit shown, an ideal battery of EMF \(\varepsilon_0\) is connected to a switch \(S\), two identical resistors each of resistance \(R\), and an initially uncharged capacitor of capacitance \(C\).

At time \(t = 0\), the switch is closed. Consider the following four currents in the circuit:
  • \(I_1\): the current through the battery at \(t = 0^+\)
  • \(I_2\): the current through resistor \(R_2\) as \(t \to \infty\)
  • \(I_3\): the current through capacitor \(C\) at time \(t = \tau\), where \(tau\) is the time constant of the circuit
  • \(I_4\): the current through resistor \(R_2\) at \(t = 0^+\)

Which of the following correctly ranks the magnitudes of these currents from greatest to least?

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