Capacitor

Chapter 24:

CAPACITANCE
AND DIELECTRICS

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

composed of two conductors separated by an

insulator or vacuum
can store electric potential energy and electric
charge

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Capacitance

Capacitance

characteristic property of a capacitor

measure of the ability of a capacitor to store energy

depends on the following:

insulator between the two conductors

C=

Q
Vab

SI unit is farad (F): 1 F = 1 C/V

shape, configuration, and size of the

capacitor

does NOT depend on the following:

charge and voltage of the capacitor

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Parallel-plate capacitor

Capacitors in everyday life

(in vacuum)

C = o

A
d

NOTE: capacitance depends only on the area and

separation of the parallel plates
Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Example 1

Example 2

A parallel-plate capacitor has an area S and

separation D.
C = oS/D

What is its capacitance?

What will be the charge on the plates if a voltage Vo
is applied across it?
Q = V S/D
o

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Q = 6 C

If the capacitor above is now given a voltage

of 6 V, what will be its capacitance?

S
Vo

A 2-F capacitor is given a voltage of 3 V.

How much charge will it store on the plates?

C = 2 F

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Example 3

Example 4

A parallel-plate capacitor is connected to a

battery. While connected, the plates
separation is doubled. Describe what will
happen to the ff:
1. Capacitance
2. Voltage
3. Charge

halves

An isolated parallel-plate capacitor is

carrying some charge on its plates. The
plates separation is doubled. Describe what
will happen to the ff:
1. Capacitance
2. Voltage
3. Charge

same
halves

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

halves
doubles
same

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Spherical capacitor

Connections of capacitors
Key idea:

C = o

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

4ra rb
rb ra

A connection of several capacitors can

be replaced by a single capacitor with a
certain equivalent capacitance.
capacitance
(also called effective capacitance
capacitance in
other textbooks)

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Capacitors in series
Equal charges:

Qseries = Q1 = Q2 = Q3 =

Capacitors in series
Equivalent capacitance:

1
1
Cseries =
+
+
+ ...
C1 C2 C3

Sum of voltages:

Vseries = V1 + V2 + V3 +

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Capacitors in parallel
Sum of charges:

Qparallel = Q1 + Q2 + Q3 +

Note: Cseries is less than any of

C1, C2, C3,

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Capacitors in parallel
Equivalent capacitance:

Cparallel = C1 + C2 + C3 + ...

Equal voltages:

Vparallel = V1 = V2 = V3 =

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Note: Cparallel is greater than

any of C1, C2, C3,

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Example 1

Example 2

What is the equivalent capacitance across the

terminals?
4/3 F

What is the equivalent capacitance across the

terminals?
6 F

Determine the charge and potential of each

capacitor.

Determine the charge and potential of each

capacitor if Vab = 3 V.

3V

6 C

24 C

24 C

12 V

6V

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Example 3

b
3V

12 C

Example 4

What is the equivalent capacitance across the

terminals?
2 F

What is the equivalent capacitance across the

terminals?
5 F

Determine the charge and potential of each

capacitor.

Determine the charge and potential of each

capacitor.

20 C

4 F

5V
400 C
10 C

2 F

10 C

5V
Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

100 V

3 F

4 F

2 F

400 C

4 F

5V
Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

600 C

100 V
200 V

Example 5

Energy stored in a capacitor

What is the effective capacitance across the

terminals?

Recall: Capacitors can store electric potential

energy and electric charge.

3 Co

Two equivalent interpretations of energy

storage in capacitors:
1. Energy stored is a property of the charge in the
capacitor
2. Energy stored is a property of the electric field
produced by the capacitor

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Energy stored in a capacitor

If you know any two of C, Q, or V :
2

1
1Q
1
= CV 2
U = QV =
2
2 C 2

Energy stored in a capacitor

If you know the electric field :

u=

1
o E 2 = energy density
2

Note: This is energy density (i.e. energy per unit volume)

volume
Total electric potential energy:

U=

volume

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

u dv

Example 1
What is the energy stored in a 4-F
capacitor that is connected directly to a
10-V battery?

Example 2
What is the work needed to store a
charge of 6 C to a 10-F capacitor?

200 J

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

1.8 J

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Example 3
What is the energy density stored in a
parallel-plate capacitor with surface charge
density and plates separation H ?

2 / o
Follow-up question:
What is the total energy stored in that capacitor if its
surface area is S ?

Example 4
What is the energy
stored in capacitor C4?
Here are the values:

Va
Vb
C1
C2
C3
C4

=
=
=
=
=
=

50 V
10 V
2F
2F
3F
4F

(2 / o)(SH)
Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

800 J
Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Dielectric
a nonconducting material (i.e. insulator)
usually inserted between the plates of a capacitor
increases the capacitance of a capacitor

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Dielectric constant

How to describe a dielectric?

1. Dielectric constant, K
2. Permittivity,
3. Dielectric strength

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

symbol: K
pure number; dimensionless; no units
in general, K 1
for vacuum, K = 1
for air (at 1 atm), K = 1.00059 1
for Mylar, K = 3.1

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Permittivity

Dielectric strength

symbol:
SI unit is C2/Nm2 or F/m
Related with o: = Ko
o = permittivity of free space
(permittivity of vacuum)

in general, o

for air (at 1 atm), o

dielectric strength maximum electric

field (magnitude) that a dielectric can
withstand without the occurrence of
dielectric breakdown

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

dielectric breakdown phenomenon at

which the dielectric becomes partially
ionized and becomes a conductor

for air: dielectric strength = 3106 V/m

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

Example 1

Effects of inserting a dielectric

1.

Separates the two plates even at very small

distances

2.

Increases the maximum possible potential

difference between the plates (because some
dielectrics have higher dielectric strength
than air)

3.

Increases the capacitance of the capacitor

Cwith = KCwithout
Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

An isolated capacitor is given a charge Q.

Describe what will happen to the following
when a dielectric (K = 2) is inserted in the
capacitor.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

double
Capacitance
same
Charge
half
Voltage
half
Electric field
Electric potential energy
Energy density

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

half
half

Example 2

A capacitor is directly connected to a 9-V

battery. Describe what will happen to the
following when a dielectric (K = 3) is inserted
in the capacitor.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

triple
Capacitance
triple
Charge
same
Voltage
same
Electric field
Electric potential energy
Energy density

Physics 72 ARCIAGA [Chapter 24]

triple
triple