Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Capacitance and
Dielectrics
Physics 72
Rafael B. Jaculbia
24.1: Capacitors and Capacitance
Capacitors
Any two conductors separated by an
insulator (or vacuum)
Used for storing electric potential energy
and charge
Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Dielectrics Lecturer: Rafael Jaculbia
Capacitor
If we connect the wires of a capacitor to
the opposite terminals of a battery, the
capacitor acquires the potential difference
of the battery.
Vab
+
-

+Q
Vab
-Q
4
Capacitance
Measure of the ability of the capacitor to
store electric potential energy
Q
C=
Vab
C Q/Vab amount of stored energy

Capacitance
SI Unit: Farad (F); 1 F = 1 C/V
Depends on the dimensions of the
capacitors (area, separation)
Depends on the insulating material

Parallel Plate Capacitor

A
E=
o
Vab = Ed
A
C = o
d
Q
=
A
Qd
Vab =
oA
Q
E=
0A
Q
C=
Vab
Depends only
on the geometry
d
Example
When a parallel plate capacitor with vacuum in
between the plates is connected to a 10V
battery, it stores 5C of charge. What is its
capacitance?
Q
5C 1
C=
=
= F
Vab 10V 2

Example
If the separation between the plates is
halved, what will be the new capacitance?
1
A
C = F = o
2
d
dd
A
A
C = o
= 2 o = 1F
(1 2)d
d
Quiz
Calculate how large a 1 F capacitor is if
the plate separation is 1mm. (hint:
epsilon_o is of the order of x10-12 F/m)

10
Capacitance of a Spherical
Capacitor
rb ra
C = 4 o
rb ra

11
Cylindrical Capacitor
2 o L
C=
ln(rb ra )

12
24.2: Capacitors in Series and

Parallel
Capacitor networks
A capacitor network can be replaced by a
single capacitor with an equivalent or
effective capacitance
Series connection: 1 common point of
connection
Parallel: 2 common points of connection
Combination of series and parallel
14
Capacitors in Series
a
+
-
+Q
+Q
-Q
-Q
c
Vab= V
a
Ceq
b
Series Connection
+Q
Q is the same
-Q
b
Vab = Vac + Vcb

15
a
+Q
C1
-Q
C2
-Q
Q
Vcb = V2 =
C2
1
1
Vab = V = V1 + V2 = Q
+
C1 C 2
c
+Q
Q
Vac = V1 =
C1
b
V 1
1
=
+
Q C1 C 2
16
a
+Q
+Q
C1
-Q
C2
-Q
-Q
c
+Q
Ceq
1
1
1
=
+
C eq C1 C 2
b
17
Capacitors in series
1
1
1
1
=
+
+
+K
Ceq C1 C2 C3
Ceq is less than

any of C1, C2, etc
Vtot = V1 + V2 + V3 + K
Sum of voltages
Q = Q1 = Q2 = Q3 = K
Equal charges

18
Capacitors in Parallel
a
Vab
+
-
a
+Q2
+Q1
+Q
-Q1
-Q2
b
Parallel Connection
Ceq
-Q
b
Vab is the same
Q = Q1 + Q2

19
+Q2
+Q1
+Q
C1
-Q1
Q1 = C1V
C2
-Q
Ceq
-Q2
Q2 = C 2V
Q = Q1 + Q2 = (C1 + C 2 )V
Q
= C1 + C 2
V
C eq = C1 + C 2
20
C eq = C1 + C 2 + C 3 + K
Ceq is greater than

any of C1, C2, etc
V = V1 = V2 = V3 = K
Equal voltages
Qtot = Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + K
Sum of charges

21
Capacitor Networks
Series Connection
1 common point of connection

V is the sum
Q is equal
Reciprocal of equivalent capacitance is the sum of the
reciprocal of the capacitance of each capacitor
Parallel Connection
2 common points of connection

V is equal
Q is the sum
Capacitance is the sum of the capacitance of each

22
Equivalent Capacitance
a
b
If the capacitance of each capacitor is 3F,
what is the equivalent capacitance of the
network?
23
Equivalent Capacitance
Find Ceq if each capacitor has capacitance C

24
Capacitor Network
C = 4F, Vab = 28V
Calculate
Charge on each
capacitor
Potential Difference
across each capacitor

25
24.3: Energy Storage and

Electric-Field Energy
Energy Stored in Capacitors

Capacitors can store electric potential
energy and charge
Electric potential energy stored in a
charged capacitor is just equal to the
amount of work required to charge it

27

C
Vab
+Q
Vab
-Q
Q
V=
C
28

Let q and v be the charge and potential at
some time during charging, so v = q/C
The work required dW to transfer an
additional charge dq is:
qdq
dW = vdq =
C
29

The total work W needed to increase the
capacitor charge q to Q is
W
1
Q
W = dW = qdq =
C 0
2C
0
This is also the total work done by the
electric field to discharge the capacitor
30

Define the potential energy U of an
uncharged capacitor to be 0, then W is just
equal to U, hence:
2
Q
1
1
2
U=
= CV = QV
2C 2
2

31
Charge and energy transfer

between capacitors
a) What is the charge Qo stored in C1?

b) What is the energy stored in C1 if s is open?
c) If C2 is initially uncharged, what will be the potential
difference and charge across each capacitor after S is
closed?
d) What is the total energy of the system after S is closed?
32
Energy in a capacitor
A charged parallel plate capacitor has area A,
separation d and capacitance C. What will
happen to the potential energy U when the
separation of the plates is doubled?

33
Electric Field Energy

We can think of the energy stored in the
electric field between the plates
Energy per unit volume in the space
between the plates of a parallel plate
capacitor

34

Energy density u energy per unit volume
For a parallel plate capacitor
1
2
CV
u= 2
Ad

Total stored potential

energy
Volume between the
plates
35

1
2
CV
u= 2
Ad
A
C = o
d
1
2
u = oE
2
V = Ed
Electric energy
density in a vacuum
36

1
2
u = oE
2
Valid for any capacitor in vacuum and any
electric field configuration in vacuum
U = udV
37
Example
Suppose you want to store 1.00 J of

electric potential energy in a 1.00 m3 in
vacuum
a) What is the magnitude of the required
electric field?
b) If the field magnitude is 10 times larger, how
much energy is stored per cubic meter?

38
24.4: Dielectrics
Dielectric
A dielectric is an insulating material
inserted between a capacitor
Dielectric weakens the electric field
between a capacitor causing the
capacitance to increase
V = Ed
Q Q
C= =
V Ed

E V C
40
Dielectric constant
When the space between the capacitor is
completely filled with a dielectric, the ratio
of C (capacitance with the dielectric) and
Co (capacitance in vacuum) defines the
dielectric constant K of the material:
C
K=
Co
If charge is constant:

Vo
V=
K
41
Induced Charge and Polarization

Since in the presence of a dielectric, the
potential decreases, the electric field must
also decrease
The electric field in a capacitor with a
dielectric:
Eo
E=
K
42

Since the electric field
magnitude is reduced, the
surface charge density
must also be smaller
To maintain charge
neutrality, an induced
charge of opposite sign
appears at the ends of the
dielectric
43
E=
o
i = 1
K

i
E=
Induced surface
charge density
44
Capacitance with a dielectric

The permittivity of the dielectric:
= K o
A
A
C = KC o = K o =
d
d
1
1 2
2
u = K o E = E
2
2
45
A parallel-plate capacitor has square plates of edge length

10 cm and a separation of d = 4 mm. A dielectric slab of
constant K = 2 has dimensions 10 cm x 10 cm x 4 mm.
a) What is the capacitance without the dielectric?
b) What is the capacitance if the dielectric slab fills the
space between the plates?
c) What is the capacitance if a dielectric slab with
dimensions 10 cm x 10 cm x 3 mm is inserted into the 4mm gap?
46
Summary
Capacitance is a measure of the ability of
the capacitor to store charge
Capacitor networks
Dielectrics increase the capacitance of a
capacitor
Capacitor connected to a battery implies
constant potential
Capacitor is isolated (disconnected)
implies constant charge
47

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Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: Capacitance and

24.1: Capacitors and Capacitance

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Parallel Plate Capacitor

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

24.2: Capacitors in Series and

Vab = Vac + Vcb

Ceq is less than

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Ceq is greater than

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

1 common point of connection

2 common points of connection

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Find Ceq if each capacitor has capacitance C

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

24.3: Energy Storage and

Energy Stored in Capacitors

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Energy Stored in Capacitors

Energy Stored in Capacitors

Energy Stored in Capacitors

Energy Stored in Capacitors

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Charge and energy transfer

a) What is the charge Qo stored in C1?

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Electric Field Energy

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Electric Field Energy

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Total stored potential

Electric Field Energy

Electric Field Energy

Suppose you want to store 1.00 J of

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Induced Charge and Polarization

Induced Charge and Polarization

Induced Charge and Polarization

Physics 72 Chapter 24: Capacitance and

Capacitance with a dielectric

A parallel-plate capacitor has square plates of edge length

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