Ch.

24
Capacitance and Dielectrics
Capacitors and capacitance
Capacitors in series and parallel
Energy in a capacitor
Dielectrics

Introduction

24.1 Capacitors and Capacitances

Q
Vab

1F=1farad
=1

C
coulomb
1
V
volt

Calculating Capacitance: Capacitors in Vacuum

0 0A

Q
A
0
Vab
d

Vab Ed

1 Qd
0 A

1C2
C2
1F=
1
Nm
J

0 8.85 1012 F / m

The unit of capacitance, the farad, is very large

Ex 24.1 Size of 1-F capacitor

Ex 24.2 Properties of a parallel plate capacitor

C 0

A
d

Q CVab

Ex 24.3 A Spherical capacitor

Electric field in the range ra <r<rb
Gausss Law

Q
E
dA= encl

4 r 2 E=

Q
4 r 2 0
rb
rb

Q
Q
1 rb
Vab Va Vb E dr
dr
[
]ra

ra
ra 4 r 2

4
r
0
0
r

r
Q 1 1
Q b a
[ ]

4 0 ra rb
4 0 ra rb
rr
Q
Q

4 0 a b
C
Q rb ra
Vab
rb ra
4 0 ra rb
E=

Ex 24.4 A cylinder capacitor

Electric field in the range ra <r<rb

Q
E
dA= encl

E=

2 rLE=

2 0 r

L
0

rb
rb dr

Vab Va Vb E dr
[ln r]rarb
ra
ra 2 r
2 0
0
rb

ln

2 0 ra
L2 0
L
Q
C 2 0

C
rb
rb
r

Vab
L
ln
ln
ln b
2 0 ra
ra
ra

24.2 Capacitors in Series and Parallel

Capacitors in Series

Vac V1

Q
C1

Vcb V2

Vab V V1 V2 Q(

Q
C2

1
1
Q
)
C1 C2
Ceq

1
1
1

Ceq C1 C2

Capacitors in Parallel

Q1 C1V and Q 2 C 2 V
Q Q1 Q 2 (C1 C2 )V Ceq V

Ceq C1 C 2
Ceq C1 C2 C3 (capacitors in parallel)

Ex. 24.5 Capacitors in Series and in Parallel

Ex 24.6 A Capacitor Network

24.3 Energy Storage in Capacitors and Electric-Field

Energy

Q
C

dW vdq
W

qdq
C

1 Q
Q2
dW qdq
C 0
2C

Q2 1
1
U=
CV 2 QV
2C 2
2

Applications of Capacitors: Energy Storages

Electric Field Energy

1
CV 2
u=Energy density= 2
Ad
1
A
( 0 )(Ed) 2
1
d
=2
0E2
Ad
2

Parallel-plate capacitor

V Ed

C 0

A
d

(valid for any E- field in vacuum)

Ex. 24.7 Transferring charge and energy between capacitors

Q 0 C1V0 (8.0 F)(120V) 960 C

1
1
(b) Energy stored in C1: U initial Q 0 V0 (960 C)(120V) 0.058J
2
2
Q1 Q 2 Q0
(c) V, Q1, and Q2
Q0
C1V C 2 V Q0 (C1 C 2 )V
V
80V
C1 C2
Q1 C1V 640 C
Q 2 C 2 V 320 C

(a) Initial charge

(d) Final energy of the system:

U final

1
1
Q1V Q 2 V 0.038J
2
2

Ex 24.9 Two ways to calculate energy stored in a

capacitor
ra rb
Q
i) 1st method
C

Vab

4 0

rb ra

Q 2 Q 2 rb ra
Q 2 rb ra
U=

2C 2 4 0 ra rb 8 0 ra rb
ii) 2nd method

E=

Q
4 0 r 2

(ra <r<rb )

1
1
Q
Q2
2
2
u 0E = 0 (
)
2
2
4 0 r 2
32 2 0 2 r 4
Q2

Q2
U udV (
)(4 r dr)
32 2 0 r 4
8 0

Q rb ra
8 0 ra rb

rb

ra

dr Q 2
1 1

[ ]
2
r
8 0 rb ra

24.4 Dielectrics

C
C0

(definition of dielectric constant)

Q CV C0 V0

C KC0

V0
K

(when Q is constant)

Induced Charge and Polarization

E0
K

E0
E=

V0
K

(when Q is constant)

i E0

0
K 0K

i (1

1
)
K

(induced surface charge density)

 K 0

(definition of permittivity)
E

A
A

d
d
(parallel-plate capacitor, dielectric between plates)
C KC0 K 0

1 A
2
1
CV 2
(Ed)
1
2
d

K 0 E 2
u=Energy density= 2
Ad
Ad
2

(electric energy density in a dielectric)

empty space, K=1, = 0

Ex. 24.10 A capacitor with and without a dielectric

Ex. 24.11 Energy storage with and without a dielectric

1
U 0 CV0 2
2
1
U CV 2
2
1
u 0 0E02
2
1
u E2
2

10

Dielectric breakdown
When dielectric breakdown
takes place, the dielectric
becomes a conductor.

24.5 Molecular Model of Induced Charge

Polar molecules

without electric field

with an applied electric field

Nonpolar molecules

without electric field

with an applied electric field

11

Polarization: the redistribution of

charge caused by the field
bound charges
vs. free charges

12

24.6 Gausss Law in Dielectrics

EA=

i (1
EA=

( i )A

) or i
K
K
A
K 0

or KEA=

A
0

Qenclfree
KE
dA=

(Gauss's law in a dielectric)

Example 24.12 A spherical capacitor with dielectric

Use Gausss law to find the capacitance of the spherical capacitor of
Example 24.3 if the volume between the shells is filled with an
insulating oil with dielectric constant K.

Q
2
KE
dA=
KEdA=KE
dA
(KE)(4
r
)

Q
Q

4 K 0 r 2 4 r 2

4 K 0 ra rb 4 ra rb

rb ra
rb ra

13