Suppose we have a capacitor connected in series with a resistor and this is connected to a cell. So would the voltage across the capacitor be less than the the emf of the cell? And hence the energy stored? Because of the potential drop across the resistor?
[Physics] Energy stored in a capacitor
capacitanceelectric-current
Best Answer
Here, initially some current flows through R1 and C1 but only until C1 gets fully charged once C1 is fully charged no current flows through the resistor.
If you charge up a capacitor through a resistor current will flow until the voltage across the capacitor is the same as the source. This is an exponential process and never really gets there but it comes pretty close after some time.
When this happens current doesn't flow through the resistor That means the voltage drop across the capacitor is equal to the EMF of the cell.
Energy stored in a capacitor would be = 1/2*QV or 1/2*C*V^2. (V is now the EMF of battery, C is the capacitance of the capacitor, Q is the charge on the capacitor.)