Free and forced

electromagnetic oscillations
 Lesson objectives:

• Investigate EM oscillations in the circuit when

a capacitor charges or discharges through an
inductor;
• Draw the voltage versus time graph

2
 Task 1. Preparing the circuit
for investigation
•Open virtual lab window (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/
legacy/circuit-construction-kit-ac-virtual-lab)
•Familiarize the basic tools.
•Prepare the circuit.

3
Connect all the circuit elements by adding switches, as shown in
Figure 1.

Figure 1. 4
b) Place your mouse pointer on the capacitor
and right-clicking on the capacitor. Set the
capacitance to 0.1 F.
c) Repeat this step with the inductor setting
the inductance to 10 H.
d) Repeat the same step with the galvanic cell
setting the EMF to 3 V.
e) Keep both switches opened.

5
 Task 2. Observation of
processes in the circuit
• Close the switch between the capacitor and the galvanic cell.
Observe, what will happen in circuit. Write your observation of the
electrons and the change of charge on plates of the capacitor in the
circuit.
• Open this switch.
• Close the switch between the capacitor and the inductor. Observe,
what will happen in circuit now. Write your observation for this
case.
• State which evidence of free oscillations did you observe in the
experiment

6
 Data Collection
Using the voltage scale control buttons in the upper left corner of the instrument,
obtain a diagram that occupies more than 2/3 of the screen as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2

7
 Data Collection
• Pause the simulation using the buttons on the workspace. Draw the
voltage versus time graph in your notebook. Increase the time along
the x-axis.
• Replace the instrument for observing the dependence of voltage on
time with the instrument for measuring the current strength as
shown in Figure 2.
• Run the model again.
• Repeat step 2.