RC time constant
Think of a toy car that needs to move from a start point to a finish point with the help of a remote control. The remote control sends a signal to the car telling it to move.
Now, what happens if we press the button on the remote for just a short time versus holding it down for a longer time?
If we press it for a short time, the car might only move a little bit and then stop. But if we hold down the button for a longer time, the car will move farther and for a longer period of time.
This happens because of something called the RC time constant. The "R" stands for resistance and the "C" stands for capacitance. In our toy car example, the resistance would be how well the wheels of the car move and the capacitance would be how much power the remote control is sending to the car.
The RC time constant is important because it helps determine how long it takes for something to charge up and then discharge (meaning it goes back to the way it was before). In our toy car example, this would mean how long it takes for the car to start moving when we press the button on the remote and then stop moving when we let go of the button.
So, the longer we hold down the button on the remote, the longer the car will move because the RC time constant is allowing more power to build up and be sent to the car's wheels.
Now, what happens if we press the button on the remote for just a short time versus holding it down for a longer time?
If we press it for a short time, the car might only move a little bit and then stop. But if we hold down the button for a longer time, the car will move farther and for a longer period of time.
This happens because of something called the RC time constant. The "R" stands for resistance and the "C" stands for capacitance. In our toy car example, the resistance would be how well the wheels of the car move and the capacitance would be how much power the remote control is sending to the car.
The RC time constant is important because it helps determine how long it takes for something to charge up and then discharge (meaning it goes back to the way it was before). In our toy car example, this would mean how long it takes for the car to start moving when we press the button on the remote and then stop moving when we let go of the button.
So, the longer we hold down the button on the remote, the longer the car will move because the RC time constant is allowing more power to build up and be sent to the car's wheels.