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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
IntermediateMCQMathematicalConceptual14.1k
A rectangular circuit schematic oriented horizontally. On the left vertical wire is a DC voltage source labeled \(\mathcal{E}\), with the longer horizontal line on top and shorter thicker line on bottom. The top horizontal wire runs to the right, containing an open switch labeled \(S_1\) followed by a resistor labeled \(R_1\). To the right of resistor \(R_1\), the wire splits at a junction into two parallel vertical branches that connect to a bottom horizontal return wire. The first vertical branch contains an uncharged parallel-plate capacitor labeled \(C\). The second vertical branch, positioned to the right of the first, contains an open switch labeled \(S_2\) in series with a resistor labeled \(R_2\). The bottom horizontal wire connects the bottoms of both vertical branches straight back to the negative terminal of the voltage source. No other labels, lines, text, or axes appear.
Circuit schematic with a battery, two switches, two resistors, and a capacitor.
A circuit contains an ideal battery of emf \(\mathcal{E}\), two open switches \(S_1\) and \(S_2\), two resistors of resistances \(R_1\) and \(R_2\), and an initially uncharged capacitor of capacitance \(C\). Switch \(S_1\) and resistor \(R_1\) are in series with the battery in the main loop, while the capacitor \(C\) is connected in parallel with a branch containing switch \(S_2\) and resistor \(R_2\). At time \(t = 0\), switches \(S_1\) and \(S_2\) are closed simultaneously. Which of the following correctly identifies the initial current \(I_0\) supplied by the battery immediately after the switches are closed, the time constant \(\tau\) of the charging circuit, and the steady-state charge \(Q_{\infty}\) stored on the capacitor as \(t \to \infty\)?

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