A fairly large electrolytic capacitor is charged by a bank of 9 V batteries, then discharged by shorting with a screwdriver.
Various voltages can be applied by changing the number of batteries, or by adding a volt meter and using time to determine the voltage on the capacitor.
WARNING:
1. Sparks will fly! Use safety glasses!
2. The capacitor is polarized, be sure to hook up the battery properly. (+ to +)
3. Be doubly sure the capacitor is completely discharged before handling.
Questions:
How does the energy stored in a capacitor depend on the voltage achieved during charging? If the voltage is doubled, how much does the energy stored increase?
