TOPIC 2:

ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC

FIELDS
1

Part 2: CAPACITORS
Prepared by: Pn Siti Fatimah binti Saipuddin INTEC

SPECIFICATIONS
87)

investigate and use the expression C = Q/V

88)

recognise and use the expression W = QV for the energy

stored by a capacitor, derive the expression from the area
under a graph of potential difference against charge
stored, and derive and use related expressions, for
example, W = CV2

89)

investigate and recall that the growth and decay curves

for resistorcapacitor circuits are exponential, and know
the significance of the time constant RC

90)

recognise and use the expression Q = Q0 e-t/RC and derive

and use related expressions, for exponential discharge in
RC circuits, for example, I = Io e-t/RC
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FLOW OF CHARGE
In Circuits

In Capacitors

Electric field is set up within the conducting

material
Causes electron to feel force and move
through wires and components in the circuit

Electric field created in

conducting wires
Electron flow towards +ve
terminal

Electrons accumulate at one plate

-vely charge

Switch on power supply

Need complete circuit for electron to flow

Electrons at +ve terminal plate

flow towards +ve terminal +vely
charge
Plates of opposite charges attract
each other, creates electric field
btwn plates

Pd increases until pd equals to

power supply

CAPACITOR

Capacitor pair of
plates with insulator
in between them
Charge will build up
on a capacitor until pd
across the plates = pd
of power supply (fully
charged)
Store of charge

ELECTRIC FIELD IN CAPACITOR

ELECTRIC FIELDS BTW THE PLATES OF A PARALLEL-PLATE

CAPACITOR IS UNIFORM NEAR THE CENTER BUT NONUNIFORM
NEAR THE EDGES
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CAPACITANCE
Amount of charge a capacitor can store per unit
volt applied across it
Unit = Farads (F)
Depends on:

Size

of plates
Separation btwn plates
Nature of the insulator between plates

ENERGY STORED ON A CHARGED

CAPACITOR

Charging
begins

with zero
charge stored on it
charge slowly fills up
as the pd increases
until charge at V is
given by Q

When increase
voltage and pushing
the charge on
Energy

required

ENERGY STORED ON A CHARGED

CAPACITOR

CHARGING CAPACITOR

Fully
charged
capacitor
Pd

=
power
supply =
6V
0.6 mC of
charge

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DISCHARGING CAPACITOR

Slow down discharging process using

Resistor
Lamp

At first, electrons rush out at maximum

Current

at maximum = 0.06 A

As electrons flow, pd reduced

Curent

less
Light dimmer almost off if so little electrons flow

Fully discharged capacitor

No

more electrons flow

Current = 0 A

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Charging Capacitor

Discharging Capacitor

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TIME CONSTANT,

Time constant, T (tau)

The

rate of discharge of a capacitor

T = RC
Unit = seconds

Tells how many seconds it takes for the current

to fall to 37% of starting value
For charging capacitor

rate of charging a capacitor

Influenced by
1. Resistance (higher, longer time to charge up)
2. Capacitance (larger, longer time to charge up)

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14

DISCHARGING MATH

Charge remaining on the capacitor, Q at a time, t:

Therefore:

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GEOMETRY EFFECTS ON
CAPACITANCE

Plate area, A
Electrons

flow into ve plate and out of +ve

plate
If plates are large

The accumulated charges are able to distribute

themselves over the area
Amount of charge that can be stored on a plate
for a given pd increases as plate area increased

Capacitance

proportional to plate area

Plate separation, d
If

battery has constant pd btw its terminals

Electric field increases as d decreased

Closer the plate separation, the charge on the
capacitor increases

Capacitance

inversely proportional to d

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GEOMETRY EFFECTS ON
CAPACITANCE

Surface charge density on plate, = Q / A

Electric field btw the plates, E = / = Q / A
o
o

fields btw the plates are uniform

The magnitude of p.d:
V = Ed = Qd / o A

Hence, capacitance:
C = Q / V = o A / d

The capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor

is proportional the area of its plates &
inversely proportional to the plate
separation

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CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL
The individual potential
differences across capacitors
connected in parallel are the
same and equal to the potential
difference applied across the
combination
The total charge on capacitors
connected in parallel is the sum
of the charges on the individual
capacitors
The equivalent capacitance of a
parallel combination of
capacitors is the sum of the
individual capacitance and is
greater than any individual
capacitance in the combination

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CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL

Total charge stored by the two capacitors:

Since the voltage across the capacitors are the same:

Hence:

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CAPACITORS IN SERIES

The individual charges on capacitors connected in series are the same

The total potential differences across capacitors connected in series is
the sum of the potential differences across the individual capacitors
The inverse of the equivalent capacitance of a series combination of
capacitors is the sum of the inverses of the individual capacitance
and always less than any individual capacitance in the combination

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CAPACITORS IN SERIES

Total potential difference btw the two capacitors:

Since the charges on the capacitors are the same:

Hence:

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Exercise:
Find the equivalent capacitors for the combinations
of capacitors in figure. All capacitance are in
microfarads

22

Exercise:
A

5000 F capacitor is charged to 12.0 V and

discharged through a 2000 resistor.
What is the time constant?
What is the voltage after 13 s?
What is the half-life of the decay?
How long would it take the capacitor to discharge to 2.0 V

23

Exercise:
A 470 F capacitor, charged up to 12.0 V is
connected to a 100 k resistor.
(a) What is the time constant?
(b) What is the voltage after 10 s?
(c) How long does it take for the voltage to drop
to 2.0 V?

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Exercise:
An uncharged capacitor and a resistor are
connected in series to a battery. If = 12V , C =
5F, and R = 8 x 105 , find the time constant for
the circuit and the charge and current as functions
of time.

25

Exercise:
Consider a capacitor of capacitance C that has
been discharged through a resistor of resistance R.
a)
b)

After how many time constant is the charge on the

capacitor one-fourth its initial value?
The energy stored in the capacitor decreases with time
as the capacitor discharges. After how many time
constant is this stored energy one-fourth its initial
value?

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End of Capacitors

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