Delayed Buzzer

This is a demonstration circuit from the Capacitor course.

This circuit shows how you can use a capacitor to delay the turning on of a buzzer. For example to wait a few seconds before an alarm sounds after it has been triggered.

This isn’t a great delay circuit. This is because the resistor and capacitor values needed to set the delay are highly connected to the transistor current and thereby to the current for the buzzer. But it’s a good way to demonstrate how a capacitor delays something.

The Circuit

Parts List

Reference Value
Battery 9V
Buzzer Active
C1 1000µF
Q1
R1 50k-100k
R2 10k

The Layout

Created: Feb 6, 2024 | Updated: Nov 26, 2025 |