Re: [EE]: considering charging capacitor losses. When a charged cap charges a discharged cap.

I, too, enjoy these ponderings. I am frequently amazed at how often a 
clear explanation of something that seems counter-intuitive can suddenly 
make it almost obvious. I sometimes wonder how much of life we miss 
because we simply do not have a clear understanding of what is happening.

Thank you, everyone, for this list and the wealth that it contains,
Allen Mulvey


On 4/4/2026 6:52 AM, Justin Richards wrote:
> I now have a reasonable understanding of why half the energy is lost
> (amongst other behaviours) regardless of resistance (where R != 0) - just
> the time varies. This was at odds with my initial intuition.
>
> That intution being - if I charge a cap with total energy E and then direct
> connect to another cap, the total energy of the two caps would be E.  My
> conviction was supported somewhat on hearing statement like "capacitors and
> inductors do not consume energy, they store it and return it to the
> circuit".  And then less conviction after my lecturer offhand comments.
>
> I do enjoy these ponderings
>
> The detailed replies were most welcome.
>
> Thank you all.
>