At t = 0 , the plates of a capacitor of capacitance 10 ext F , charged to 60 ext C , are connected together by a wire having a resistance of 10 ext . Determine the charge on the capacitor in the circuit at t = 0 .

Step-by-step solution

The charge on a discharging capacitor at any time t is given by the equation q(t) = q₀ e^ -t/RC . Given the initial charge on the capacitor is q₀ = 60 C . Substituting t = 0 in the equation, we get: q(0) = 60 e^0 = 60 C Thus, the charge on the capacitor at the instant the connection is made ( t = 0 ) remains equal to its initial charge, which is 60 C .