I'm aware that there are a number of terminals on the resistor and the capacitor. Is there a difference in these terminals on each component and which terminals do you connect the wires with from the resistor/capacitor to the onscilloscope and signal generator?
Hello again,
Oh ok, well it's hard to tell what someone wants to know from one post usually anyway.
With a resistor and capacitor it doesnt matter which terminal you choose. You can flip the resistor and it still works the same, and flip the cap and it still works the same.
There is one exception, and that is if you are using a type of capacitor called a "polarized" capacitor. One type of polarized capacitor is an electrolytic capacitor, and that has either a big plus sign (+) or a big minus sign (-) stamped on the case somewhere, and that indicates what terminal is positive and which terminal is negative.
Normally you connect the negative lead to ground and the positive lead to the resistor.
That means you connect the signal generator positive to the resistor and negative to ground, although if you were actually using a polarized capacitor you'd also have to make sure to apply seme DC offset because a sine wave usually goes both positive and negative. A polarized capacitor would only be used when an offset is available, either in the circuit or from the test generator.
You'll most likely be using a non polarized capacitor (no polarity) so you can use either lead of the capacitor any way you want without regard to which lead is which.
If you already have a capacitor and you dont know what kind it is, if you can post a picture we can take a look and advise. If not, perhaps a link to the catalog or data sheet and that will help too.
Most ceramic caps like 0.1uf, 0.01uf, etc., are non polarized, while larger values like 10uf and 100uf and up are usually polarized, and 1uf comes commonly as either type.
There are exceptions however, because you can in fact purchase larger values that are polarized too.