A 400 $\mu$ F Capacitor in Series with a 5,000 $\Omega$ Resistor Is Charged by a 100

Short Answer

A 40.0 $\mu$ F capacitor in series with a 5,000. $\Omega$ resistor is charged by a 100. V battery. A neon lamp is connected cross the capacitor (in parallel with it). A neon lamp has a very high resistance before it "fires", i.e., ionizes. When the voltage across it reaches 70. V, it fires and its resistance drops almost instantaneously to zero. It then ceases to conduct once the voltage drops below 70. V. This results in periodically discharging the capacitor. This is the kind of circuit used to make roadside warning lights at construction sites.

Determine the frequency at which the light will blink in the Figure 18-18