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Old 4th Dec 2017, 8:20 pm   #21
stuarth
Heptode
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Heysham, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 665
Default Re: Should an electrolytic capacitor have measurable resistance?

Most analogue meters with a non linear ohms scale (i.e. Most analogue meters!) have an equivalent circuit which is the ohms battery in series with a resistance equal to the centre scale value of the chosen resistance range, and the test terminals, i.e. the unknown resistance in series.

Passive meters (such as an AVO 8) show the current flowing in this circuit, so an open circuit at the test terminals shows zero deflection, a short circuit shows full scale deflection (with an adjustment pot to make it so), and a resistor across the terminals equal to the half scale value gives half scale deflection.

The voltage actor the unknown resistance (an electrolytic in the OP's case) is proportional to the meter deflection, with the battery voltage (15v) at full scale. When you watch the "resistance" of the capacitor rise with time, you are actually seeing the voltage across the cap increase as it charges up.

Stuart
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