CAPACITORS

90523
NCEA Level 3
Physics
 CAPACITORS
• Electric field strength Page 111 - 113
• Capacitors
• Capacitance
• Energy in capacitors Page 114 - 116
• Capacitors in series and parallel
• RC Circuits
• Charging a capacitor
• Discharging a capacitor Page 117 - 119
• Time constant
• Exercise 7 (Capacitors): Page 120 - 125
ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH
What is it? ANS: Is the force that an electric charge
experiences within a specific space
(field).
Symbol : E Units: Newtons per Coulomb (NC-1)
E = F/q

Remember from level 2 that electric fields act either inward

or outwards dependent on the charge:
Field lines represented
with an arrow hence
are vectors.
+ -
Field lines are stronger
when closer together.
FIELD LINES BETWEEN PLATES
If parallel plates are charged then a uniform electric field is then
established:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B C D
A
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Note:
The field strength is the same wherever the charge happens to be
e.g. A; B or C.
At the edges “D” the field strength is weaker as the field lines are
longer, the plates being further apart.
If a charge is moved from the negative plate
to the positive then potential energy (EP) is EP = qV
produced or a potential difference set up ‘V’.
This is also dependent on the distance ‘d’ E = V/d
between the plates thus two equations can
be produced:
CAPACITORS
What is it? ANS: It is an electrical component that can
store electrical charge and release it
some time later.
Symbol : C Units: Farad (F)

C
Everyday capacitors are measured in either
F (10-6); nF (10-9); pF (10-12).

Often made like a swiss
roll by rolling metal plates
with a insulator (dielectric)
in between and wires
attached to each plate.
USES
1. Storing energy as in flash
photography
2. Time delays in electronic
circuits
3. As filters in electronic circuits
4. In tuning circuits
BASIC CONSTRUCTION
The Parallel Plate Capacitor

CONDUCTOR CONDUCTOR TWO

OPPOSITELY
CHARGED
- + CONDUCTORS
SEPARATED
BY AN
INSULATOR -
WHICH MAY
BE AIR
INSULATOR
(DIELECTRIC)
WHAT DOES A CAPCITOR DO?
The battery causes the
d flow of electrons to
E = electric field strength
accumulate on one plate
and attracts an equal
- + number of electrons fro
the other plate, leaving the
- +
plates oppositely charged.
-
+ +
-
- When fully charged:
+ +
- • Flow of e- stops.
- +
•Both plates equal &
- + oppositely charged.
•Pd across plates, ‘V’ =
Vsupply.
- + •Electric field, ‘E’ exists
between plates E = V/d.
Example 1:
A capacitor is made of two thin metal sheets separated by a
distance of 1.0mm. It is connected to a 12V battery. Calculate the
electric field strength between the plates.
SOLUTION:
E = V/d
= 12 / 1.0 x 10-3
= 12000Vm-1
CAPACITANCE

This is the amount of charge a capacitor can store when connected

across a potential difference of 1 volt. Obviously the larger the
capacitor the more charge it can contain.
The capacitance (C) of a capacitor which stores a charge, ‘Q’
coulombs on each plate when connected across a supply of volts, ‘V’,
is given by:
C = Q/V
Capacitors have a finite voltage at which they work at. If the voltage is
exceeded then the dielectric will melt and the plates suddenly come
into contact. Short circuit, capacitor explodes!!

BOOM
Charge stored [Q] depends on p.d. [Volts] applied [V]

Q
Gradient = C
V

Hence C = Q/V

Remember that the capacitance, C, is defined as

“the charge required to raise the potential by one volt”
Example 2:
How much charge is stored on the plates of a 100F capacitor
connected to a 12V battery?

SOLUTION:
Q=CxV
= 100x10-6 x 12
= 1.2x10-3 C
WHAT FACTORS DETERMINE CAPACITANCE?
Depend upon three factors:
1. The area, A, of the parallel plates.
2. The distance, d, separating the plates.
3. The properties of the dielectric material
between the plates.

1. Plates that 2. Plates that are Constant = absolute

have a greater closer permittivity of free
area can store together can space (o)
more charge, store more
thus: charge, thus: 0 = 8.84x10-12 Fm-1
CA C  1/d 

 C = (oA)
C = constant x A/d d
Example 3:
A student wishes to make a capacitor of 1.0F using parallel plates
1.0mm apart in air.
Find the area of the plates.

SOLUTION:
C = (O x A) / d
A = (C x d) / O
= (1.0 x 1.0x10-3) / 8.84x10-12
= 1.13x108 m2
= 1.1x108 m2
THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT:
Different materials insulate at
differing amounts thus changing
the capacitance, called dielectric
effect. The dielectric constant (r)
gives the proportion by which ‘C’
Area of
increases when dielectric placed
Plate overlap
between the plates. = A

Medium relative
permittivity = r
d d = plate separation

A 0 r 0 = the permittivity of free

C space = 8.86. X 10-12 F m-1

d For air or a vacuum, r = 1

The dielectric constant does not a have a unit as it is the ratio
between two capacitance values:

r = Cdielectric
Cair
Examples of dielectric
constants include: Dielectric material r
Air 1.0
Oiled paper 2.0
Polystyrene 2.5
Glass 6.0
Water 80
Example 4:
A parallel plate capacitor with air between its plates has capacitance
1.1nF. A sheet of polystyrene is placed between the plates. Calculate
the new capacitance.

SOLUTION:
C d = r x C a
= 2.5 x 1.1nF
= 2.75nF
= 2.8nF

PRACTICAL:
Factors affecting the capacitance of a pair of parallel plates.
Page 229-231 S & C.
 THE ENERGY STORED IN CAPACITOR:
As charge, Q, is packed onto the plates work needs to be done.
Repulsive forces want to push the electrons away from the negative
plate towards the positive. The battery supplies the push, energy, to
pack these electrons. The push, pd, the battery has the greater the
capacitance, C. Thus energy provided by the cell must equal:

E=QxV

For a
Area
capacitor
V V under
Area under graph V vs Q is
graph =
= energy change a straight
=QxV line ½xQxV
graph
Q Q

Energy provided by cell Energy stored in capacitor

As capacitance is the amount of
stored charged then the energy
inside a capacitor then two
formulae can be produced.

EP = ½CV2 [Substituting Q = CV into EP = ½QV]

EP = ½Q2/C [Substituting V = Q/C into EP = ½QV]

Example 5:
The energy from a 1100F capacitor is used to operate a
photographer’s flash bulb. The capacitor is charged by a 9.0V
battery. Calculate:
a. The energy stored in the capacitor.
b. The energy delivered by the battery.
c.Account for the difference in these two energies.
SOLUTION:
b. The energy provided by the
a. The energy stored in the
battery is twice the energy
charged capacitor is:
stored in the capacitor
EP = ½CV2 energy from the battery

= 0.5 x 1100x10-6 x 9.02 = 2 x 0.04455

= 0.045J = 0.089J

c. The flow of charge while the capacitor is charging will cause

energy to be changed to heat in the resistance of the circuit.
CAPACITORS IN SERIES & PARALLEL:
V V
SERIES PARALLEL
- - +
+

Q1 C1
V1 V2
Q- Q+ Q- Q+ Q2 C2

C1 C2

Charge on each capacitor is Voltage across each capacitor

the same. same as, V, of cell.
V = V1 + V2 Q = Q1 + Q 2
For two or more capacitors: For two or more capacitors:
1 = 1 + 1 ………….
Cp = C1 + C2 ……….
C s C1 C2
Example 6:
Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the network shown.
4F
SOLUTION:
For the two capacitors in parallel:
Cp = 4F + 2F 12F
2F
= 6F
So the network is equivalent to 6F and 12F capacitors connected
in series.
1/Cp = 1/C1 + 1/C2
= 1/12 + 1/6
12F 6F
= 3/12
Cp = 12/3 = 4F
4F

This network of capacitors is equivalent to a single capacitor of 4F

 READ THROUGH
“THE USES OF CAPACITORS”
FROM
PAGE 115 S& C
COMPLETE
QUESTIONS 2 – 5
PAGES 115 – 116
S&C
 RC CIRCUITS
CHARGING A CAPACITOR:
An RC circuit is one that contains a resistor, ‘R’ and a capacitor, ‘C’.
R
V
C

CURRENT:
When a capacitor begins to charge there is a massive flow of charge
to the negative plate. This then decreases with time as repulsion
from that plate pushes electron away.
VOLTAGE:
When the capacitor is empty there is zero charge stored. As
electrons rush in there is a huge build up of energy. This begins to
level out as repulsion denies entry of any further charge.
From this two graphs can be drawn for the charging of a capacitor
with relation to what happens to current ‘I’ and voltage ‘V’.

Imax
VC
Amps
Volts

0 time

CURRENT GRAPH VOLTAGE GRAPH

Current starts at maximum Imax Voltage starts at zero and

and then decreases to zero as
the negative plate fills up with
negative charge. Repulsion
pushes against the force of
the battery
rapidly increases until it
begins to reach maximum.
Now repulsion prevents any
further charge entering so the
energy remains constant.
 DISCHARGING A CAPACITOR:
When a capacitor discharges the voltage and current graphs are the
same. They start at a maximum and follow the inverse curves down
towards zero, although it is worth noting that they don’t reach zero.

Volts, V
Current I
V0
I0

0
Time, t Time, t

Explain what is happening in each of these graphs and why

they are the same.
 TIME CONSTANT:
Time constant is the measure of time it takes for a capacitor to reach
63% of the total amount of voltage or current that it can store/release
depending on whether it is charging/discharging. The larger , the
slower the process.
It is given the term tau, ‘’ and is measured in seconds, ‘s’. The
formula for time constant is:
Where:
 = RC  = time constant (s)
R = resistance (Ω)
As the voltage never reaches max or C = capacitance (F)
zero, then the total time taken can’t be
measured hence that is why 63% of the
time is used. (Same for current)
 VOLTAGE GRAPH
Volts

Vmax
100%

86%
This works exactly the
63% same for discharging and
for current they are just
reversed.
The second time constant
is 63% of what is left.

 2 Time, t
Example 7:
A 100F capacitor connected to a 10V battery is used with a 2.0MΩ
resistor to automatically shut off a calculator. The capacitor, initially
charged to 10V, discharges through the resistor whenever the
buttons are not being pushed. The calculator will turn off when the
capacitor voltage falls to 3.7V.
What time will this take?

SOLUTION:
The capacitor voltage falls by 10 – 3.7 = 6.3V, which is 63% of the
initial voltage and so will take one time constant.
 = RC
= 100x10-6 x 2.0x106
PRACTICAL:
= 200s
The time constant for a capacitor-resistor
series circuit
Page 232-233 S & C.
READ INFORMATION PAGE 114 - 119
COMPLETE QUESTION 1 - 6
S&C

COMPLETE EXERCISE 7
PAGE 120 - 125
S&C