04AP Physics C - Capacitance and Dielectrics

Capacitance and Dielectrics
AP Physics C
Applications of Electric Potential
Is there any way we can use a set of plates with an electric
field? YES! We can make what is called a Parallel Plate
Capacitor and Store Charges between the plates!
Storing Charges- Capacitors

A capacitor consists of 2 conductors
of any shape placed near one another
without touching. It is common; to fill
up the region between these 2
conductors with an insulating material
called a dielectric. We charge these
plates with opposing charges to
set up an electric field.
Capacitors in Kodak Cameras
Capacitors can be easily purchased at a
local Radio Shack and are commonly
found in disposable Kodak Cameras.
When a voltage is applied to an empty
capacitor, current flows through the
capacitor and each side of the capacitor
becomes charged. The two sides have
equal and opposite charges. When the
capacitor is fully charged, the current
stops flowing. The collected charge is
then ready to be discharged and when
you press the flash it discharges very
quickly released it in the form of light.
Cylindrical Capacitor
Capacitance
In the picture below, the capacitor is symbolized by a set of parallel
lines. Once it's charged, the capacitor has the same voltage as
the battery (1.5 volts on the battery means 1.5 volts on the
capacitor) The difference between a capacitor and a battery is
that a capacitor can dump its entire charge in a tiny fraction of a
second, where a battery would take minutes to completely
discharge itself. That's why the electronic flash on a camera uses
a capacitor -- the battery charges up the flash's capacitor over
several seconds, and then the capacitor dumps the full charge
into the flash tube almost instantly
Electric Potential for Conducting Sheets
qenc
 E  dA  o
Using Gauss’ Law we
derived and equation to 
V   E dr
define the electric field b 
EA 
Q as we move radially 
V (b)  V (a )   ( )dr
a 
o away from the charged o
a 
A 
sheet or plate. Electric
Q V (b)  V (a )  ( )dr
 , EA  Potential? b 
A o o

 +
V (b)  V (a )  (a  b), a  b  d
E o
o +
 Qd
E =0 V  d  Ed 
o o A
+
+
+
+
+ This expression will be
particularly useful later
Measuring Capacitance
Let’s go back to thinking about plates!
V  Ed ,
The unit for capacitance is the FARAD, F.
V E , if d  constant
E Q Therefore
Q V
C  contant of proportion ality
C  Capacitanc e
Q  CV
Q
C
V
Capacitance
This was derived from integrating the
 Qd Gauss’ Law expression for a
V  d  Ed  conducting plate.
o o A
d o A These variables represent a
V  ( )Q  Q  ( )V constant of proportionality
o A d between voltage and charge.
Q  CV What this is saying is that

o A YOU CAN change the
C capacitance even though it
d represents a constant. That
CHANGE, however, can only
happen by physically
changing the GEOMETRY of
the capacitor itself.
Capacitor Geometry
1
C A C
The capacitance of a d
capacitor depends on A  area of plate
HOW you make it. d  distance beteween plates
A
C
d
 o  constant of proportion ality
 o  vacuum permittivi ty constant
C2
 o  8.85 x10 12
Nm 2
o A
C
d
Capacitor Problems
What is the AREA of a 1F capacitor that has a plate
separation of 1 mm?
A
C  o Is this a practical capacitor to build?
D NO! – How can you build this then?
12 A
1  8.85 x10 The answer lies in REDUCING the
0.001 AREA. But you must have a
A 1.13x108 m2 CAPACITANCE of 1 F. How can
you keep the capacitance at 1 F
and reduce the Area at the same
time?
Sides  10629 m Add a DIELECTRIC!!!
Dielectric
Remember, the dielectric is an insulating material placed
between the conductors to help store the charge. In the
previous example we assumed there was NO dielectric and
thus a vacuum between the plates.
A
C  k o
d
k  Dielectric
All insulating materials have a dielectric
constant associated with it. Here now
you can reduce the AREA and use a
LARGE dielectric to establish the
capacitance at 1 F.
Using MORE than 1 capacitor
Let’s say you decide that 1
capacitor will not be
enough to build what
you need to build. You
may need to use more
than 1. There are 2
basic ways to assemble
them together
 Series – One after
another
 Parallel – between a set
of junctions and parallel
to each other.
Capacitors in Series
Capacitors in series each charge each other by INDUCTION. So
they each have the SAME charge. The electric potential on the
other hand is divided up amongst them. In other words, the sum
of the individual voltages will equal the total voltage of the battery
or power source.
Capacitors in Parallel
In a parallel configuration, the voltage is the same
because ALL THREE capacitors touch BOTH ends
of the battery. As a result, they split up the charge
amongst them.
Stored Energy from a Capacitor – A
calculus perspective
Capacitors “STORE” energy
Anytime you have a situation where energy is “STORED” it is called
POTENTIAL. In this case we have capacitor potential energy, Uc
Suppose we plot a V vs. Q graph.
If we wanted to find the AREA we
would MULTIPLY the 2 variables
according to the equation for Area.
A = bh
When we do this we get Area =

VQ
Let’s do a unit check!
Voltage = Joules/Coulomb
Charge = Coulombs
Area = ENERGY
Potential Energy of a Capacitor
Since the AREA under the line is a
triangle, the ENERGY(area) =1/2VQ
Q
U C  VQ C 
1
2 V
U C  1 V (VC )  1 CV 2
2 2
This energy or area is referred
2
as the potential energy stored Q Q
inside a capacitor. U C  1 ( )Q 
2 C 2C
Note: The slope of the line is
the inverse of the capacitance.
most common form

04AP Physics C - Capacitance and Dielectrics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

04AP Physics C - Capacitance and Dielectrics

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

04AP Physics C - Capacitance and Dielectrics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Capacitance and Dielectrics

Storing Charges- Capacitors

Q  CV What this is saying is that

When we do this we get Area =

Let’s do a unit check!

You might also like