The dielectrics in capacitors allow some leakage current to pass from one plate to the other. The
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The dielectrics in capacitors allow some leakage current to pass from one plate to the other. The leakage can be parameterized in terms of a leakage resistance RL. This limits the amount of time a capacitor can be used to store electromagnetic energy. The circuit diagram describing an isolated capacitor, slowly leaking charge, is therefore similar to the one analyzed in Problem 3.5. The Maxwell BCAP0310 ultra capacitor is listed as having a capacitance of 310 F with a voltage up to 2.85V, and a maximum leakage current of 0.45mA when fully charged. Take this to be the current at t = 0. What is the leakage resistance of the BCAP0310? Estimate the time scale over which the charge on the capacitor falls to 1/e of its initial value.
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