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The discharging case is similarly well-modeled as an (initially
charged) capacitor in series with an (initially open) switch and a
resistor. After the switch is closed, the capacitor discharges
through the resistor. The charge Q on the capacitor flows as the
voltage across both the capacitor and resistor falls from V to 0. It
is simple to perform the required integrals that show that a total
energy of QV/2 is removed from the capacitor (which had stored it in
the form of electrostatic energy) and a total energy of QV/2 is
delivered to the resistor (which dissipates it as heat.) Pleasingly
(and completely unsurprisingly), the energy supplied by the capacitor
is completely accounted for by the energy delivered to the resistor.