Note 3 B

Capacitors
Key Points
• Capacitors
• Determination of Capacitance
• Capacitors in Series and Parallel
• Electric Energy Storage
• Dielectrics
.
A capacitor consists of two conductors
that are close but not touching. A
capacitor has the ability to store electric
charge.
Parallel-plate capacitor connected to battery. (b)
is a circuit diagram.
Capacitors
When a capacitor is connected to a battery, the
charge on its plates is proportional to the
voltage:
The quantity C is called the capacitance.

Unit of capacitance: the farad (F):
1 F = 1 C/V.
Determination of Capacitance
For a parallel-plate capacitor
as shown, the field between
the plates is
E = Q/ε0A.
The potential difference:
Vba = Ed = Qd/ε0A.
This gives the capacitance:
Example 24-1: Capacitor calculations.
(a) Calculate the capacitance of a parallel-plate
capacitor whose plates are 20 cm × 3.0 cm and
are separated by a 1.0-mm air gap. (b) What is
the charge on each plate if a 12-V battery is
connected across the two plates? (c) What is
the electric field between the plates? (d)
Estimate the area of the plates needed to
achieve a capacitance of 1 F, given the same
air gap d.
Capacitors are now made with capacitances
of 1 farad or more, but they are not parallel-
plate capacitors. Instead, they are activated
carbon, which acts as a capacitor on a very
small scale. The capacitance of 0.1 g of
activated carbon is about 1 farad.
Some computer keyboards
use capacitors;
depressing the
key changes the
capacitance, which
is detected in a
circuit.
Example 24-2: Cylindrical
capacitor.
A cylindrical capacitor consists of a
cylinder (or wire) of radius Rb
surrounded by a coaxial cylindrical
shell of inner radius Ra. Both
cylinders have length l which we
assume is much greater than the
separation of the cylinders, so we can
neglect end effects. The capacitor is
charged (by connecting it to a battery)
so that one cylinder has a charge +Q
(say, the inner one) and the other one
a charge –Q. Determine a formula for
the capacitance.
Capacitors in Series and Parallel
Capacitors in parallel
have the same voltage
across each one. The
equivalent capacitor is
one that stores the
same charge when
connected to the same
battery:
Capacitors in Series and Parallel
Capacitors in series have the same charge. In
this case, the equivalent capacitor has the
same charge across the total voltage drop.
Note that the formula is for the inverse of the
capacitance and not the capacitance itself!
Example 24-5: Equivalent capacitance.
Determine the capacitance of a single
capacitor that will have the same effect as
the combination shown.
Example 24-6: Charge and voltage on
capacitors.
Determine the charge on each capacitor and
the voltage across each, assuming C = 3.0 μF
and the battery voltage is V = 4.0 V.
Example 24-7: Capacitors
reconnected.
Two capacitors, C1 = 2.2 μF and
C2 = 1.2 μF, are connected in
parallel to a 24-V source as
shown. After they are charged
they are disconnected from the
source and from each other and
then reconnected directly to
each other, with plates of
opposite sign connected
together. Find the charge on
each capacitor and the potential
across each after equilibrium is
established.
Electric Energy Storage
A charged capacitor stores electric energy;
the energy stored is equal to the work done
to charge the capacitor:
Example 24-8: Energy stored in a capacitor.
A camera flash unit stores energy in a 150-μF
capacitor at 200 V. (a) How much electric energy
can be stored? (b) What is the power output if
nearly all this energy is released in 1.0 ms?
Conceptual Example 24-9: Capacitor plate
separation increased.
A parallel-plate capacitor carries charge Q
and is then disconnected from a battery. The
two plates are initially separated by a
distance d. Suppose the plates are pulled
apart until the separation is 2d. How has the
energy stored in this capacitor changed?
The energy density, defined as the energy per
unit volume, is the same no matter the origin of
the electric field:
The sudden discharge of electric energy can be

harmful or fatal. Capacitors can retain their
charge indefinitely even when disconnected
from a voltage source – be careful!
Dielectrics
A dielectric is an insulator, and is
characterized by a dielectric constant K.
Capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor filled
with dielectric:
Using the dielectric constant, we define the

permittivity:
Dielectrics
Example 24-11: Dielectric removal.
A parallel-plate capacitor, filled with a
dielectric with K = 3.4, is connected to
a 100-V battery. After the capacitor is
fully charged, the battery is
disconnected. The plates have area A
= 4.0 m2 and are separated by d = 4.0
mm. (a) Find the capacitance, the
charge on the capacitor, the electric
field strength, and the energy stored
in the capacitor. (b) The dielectric is
carefully removed, without changing
the plate separation nor does any
charge leave the capacitor. Find the
new values of capacitance, electric
field strength, voltage between the plates,
and the energy stored in the capacitor.
Molecular Description of Dielectrics
The molecules in a dielectric, when in an
external electric field, tend to become oriented
in a way that reduces the external field.
• Capacitor: nontouching conductors carrying
equal and opposite charge.
• Capacitance:
• Capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor:

• Capacitors in parallel:
• Capacitors in series:
• Energy density in electric field:
• A dielectric is an insulator.
• Dielectric constant gives ratio of total field to
external field.
• For a parallel-plate capacitor:

Note 3 B

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Capacitors

The quantity C is called the capacitance.

The sudden discharge of electric energy can be

Using the dielectric constant, we define the

• Capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor:

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