An ECG monitor must have an RC time constant less than 100 μs to be able to measure variations in

voltage over small time intervals. If the resistance of the circuit (due mostly to that of the patient’s
chest) is 1000 Ω, what is the maximum capacitance of the circuit?

R*C < 1*10^-4 s.

1000*C < 1*10^-4.
C < 1*10^-7 Farads < 0.10 Microfarads.

To find the maximum capacitance of the circuit, we need to use the formula for the RC time constant, which is given by the equation:

RC = tau

Where R is the resistance in ohms, C is the capacitance in farads, and tau (τ) is the time constant in seconds.

In this case, the maximum RC time constant is given as 100 μs or 100 × 10^(-6) s.

Given that the resistance (R) is 1000 Ω, we can substitute these values into the formula and solve for the capacitance (C):

RC = tau

1000 Ω × C = 100 × 10^(-6) s

C = (100 × 10^(-6) s) / 1000 Ω

C = 0.1 × 10^(-6) F

C = 0.1 μF

Therefore, the maximum capacitance of the circuit is 0.1 μF.