RC Time Constant Calculator
Enter a resistor and a capacitor to get the RC time constant τ, how long the capacitor takes to charge or discharge, and the voltage at any moment. A table and chart show the curve from 0 to 5τ.
Also used as the starting voltage when discharging
Voltage at this moment after charging or discharging starts
How to use the RC Time Constant Calculator
- Enter the resistance and pick Ω, kΩ or MΩ.
- Enter the capacitance in pF, nF, µF, mF or F.
- Enter the supply voltage (and optionally a time t).
- Read τ, the 5τ settling time and the cutoff frequency.
- Check the voltage at time t, the table and the chart.
RC charging and discharging formulas
| Quantity | Formula |
|---|---|
| Time constant | τ = R × C |
| Charging voltage | V(t) = Vs × (1 − e−t/τ) |
| Discharging voltage | V(t) = V₀ × e−t/τ |
| Current (both) | I(t) = (V ÷ R) × e−t/τ |
| Time to reach a fraction p when charging | t = −τ × ln(1 − p) |
| Cutoff frequency | fc = 1 ÷ (2πRC) |
| Stored energy | E = ½ × C × V² |
Charge percentage at each time constant
| Time | Charged (% of Vs) | Remaining when discharging |
|---|---|---|
| 1τ | 63.21% | 36.79% |
| 2τ | 86.47% | 13.53% |
| 3τ | 95.02% | 4.98% |
| 4τ | 98.17% | 1.83% |
| 5τ | 99.33% | 0.67% |
Real capacitors have tolerances of ±5% to ±20% (electrolytics often −20%/+80%), and leakage current makes large-value timing circuits less precise, so treat the result as a design estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RC time constant?
The time constant τ (tau) of a resistor-capacitor circuit is τ = R × C, in seconds when R is in ohms and C in farads. After one τ a charging capacitor reaches about 63.2% of the supply voltage, and a discharging one falls to about 36.8% of its starting voltage.
How long does a capacitor take to fully charge?
In theory it never quite reaches 100%, but after 5τ it is at 99.33%, which is treated as fully charged in practice. With 10 kΩ and 100 µF, τ = 1 s, so it is effectively full after about 5 seconds.
What is the formula for capacitor voltage while charging?
V(t) = Vs × (1 − e^(−t/RC)), where Vs is the supply voltage. While discharging from V₀ it is V(t) = V₀ × e^(−t/RC). The current in both cases decays as I(t) = I₀ × e^(−t/RC).
How is the RC time constant related to cutoff frequency?
For a simple RC low-pass or high-pass filter, the −3 dB cutoff frequency is f_c = 1 ÷ (2π × R × C) = 1 ÷ (2πτ). A 1 kΩ resistor with a 100 nF capacitor gives τ = 100 µs and f_c ≈ 1.59 kHz.
How long to reach half the voltage?
It takes τ × ln 2 ≈ 0.693τ for a charging capacitor to reach 50% (or for a discharging one to fall to 50%). Reaching 90% takes τ × ln 10 ≈ 2.303τ.
Does the supply voltage change the time constant?
No. τ depends only on R and C. The supply voltage sets the final voltage, the current and the stored energy, but the shape and timing of the curve are the same.