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The time constant of a C-R circuit is

Asked in NEET 1992 · Charging transients and time constant

Answer: (3) CR

Step-by-step solution

The charge on a capacitor charging through a resistor grows as

q=q₀(1-e^-t/CR).

Whatever sits in the exponent beside t must itself be a time, so the time constant is

τ=CR.

Dimensionally, C is coulomb per volt and R is volt per ampere, so CR is coulomb per ampere,

which is a second.

After one time constant the capacitor has reached 1-e⁻¹≈63% of its final charge.

Why the other options are wrong

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