Capacitance

Phy 108 course

Zaid Bin Mahbub (ZBM)
DMP, SEPS, NSU
 The capacitance C of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on either conductor
to the magnitude of the potential difference between the conductors

A battery establishes a difference of potential that can pump electrons from a ground (earth) to a conductor

A capacitor is a system of two conductors that carries equal and opposite charges. A capacitor stores charge
and energy in the form of electro-static field.
One farad is a very large capacitance. In many applications the most convenient units of capacitance are the microfarad
and picofarad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COKBImkkJKw
Parallel-Plate Capacitor
Cylindrical Capacitor
Spherical Capacitor
For any capacitor in vacuum, the capacitance depends only on the shapes, dimensions, and separation of the conductors
that make up the capacitor.

the plate area A and the plate separation d.

in this case the length L and the two radii b and a.

in this case the two radii b and a.

An Isolated Sphere

https://www.compadre.org/Physlets/electromagnetism/illustration26_1.cfm
 Combinations of Capacitors

Capacitors connected in parallel can be replaced with an equivalent

capacitor that has the same total charge q and the same potential
difference Vas the actual capacitors.
Combinations of Capacitors

Capacitors that are connected in series can be replaced

with an equivalent capacitor that has the same charge q
and the same total potential difference V as the actual
series capacitors.
 Combinations of Capacitors

https://www.compadre.org/Physlets/electromagnetism/illustration26_4.cfm
Touch Screen
Energy Stored in an Electric Field

The potential energy of a charged

capacitor may be viewed as being
stored in the electric field
between its plates.
Energy Stored in an Electric Field

The spring constant is constant for a particular spring and different for different springs. Moreover the spring
constant is purely geometric, same is the capacitance.
Energy Density

In a parallel-plate capacitor, neglecting fringing, the electric

field has the same value at all points between the plates.
Thus, the energy density u—that is, the potential energy per
unit volume between the plates—should also be uniform.

Although we have derived this relationship only for a parallel-plate capacitor, it turns out to be valid for any capacitor in
vacuum and indeed for any electric field configuration in vacuum. This result has an interesting implication.
We think of vacuum as space with no matter in it, but vacuum can nevertheless have electric fields and therefore energy.
Thus “empty” space need not be truly empty after all.
Energy Stored in an Electric Field
1.(a) What is the energy stored in the 10.0 μF capacitor of a heart defibrillator charged to 9.00 × 103 V? (b) Find the
amount of stored charge.

1.In open heart surgery, a much smaller amount of energy will defibrillate the heart. (a) What voltage is applied to the
8.00 μF capacitor of a heart defibrillator that stores 40.0 J of energy? (b) Find the amount of stored charge.
Both capacitors shown here were initially uncharged
before being connected to a battery. They now have
charges of +Q and −Q (respectively) on their plates.
(a) A parallel-plate capacitor consists of two plates
of opposite charge with area A separated by
distance d.
(b) A rolled capacitor has a dielectric material
between its two conducting sheets (plates).
Net Field Field due to free charges Field due to bound charges
𝑬𝟎 𝝈𝒇 𝝈𝒃
𝑬= 𝑬𝟎 = 𝑬𝒃 =
𝜿 𝝐𝟎 𝝐𝟎

𝑬𝟎
𝑬𝒃 𝑬 = 𝑬𝟎 − 𝑬𝒃 =
𝜿

𝑬𝟎 𝑬𝟎 𝟏
𝑬 𝒃 = 𝑬𝟎 − = (𝟏 − )𝑬𝟎
𝜿 𝜿

Relation between charge densities within capacitor dielectric

𝟏
𝑬 = 𝑬𝟎 − 𝑬𝒃 𝝈𝒃 = (𝟏 − )𝝈𝒇
𝜿
Polarization

Without the dielectric in the capacitor, we have the electric field points
undiminished from the positive to the negative plate.

With the dielectric in place we have the electric field between the plates
of the capacitor is reduced because some of the material within the
dielectric rearranges so that their negative charges are oriented towards
the positive plate
Polar dielectrics.

The molecules of some dielectrics, like water, have permanent

electric dipole moments. In such materials (called polar
dielectrics), the electric dipoles tend to line up with an external
electric field.
The alignment of the electric dipoles produces an electric
field that is directed opposite the applied field and is smaller
in magnitude.

Polar capacitors have a higher dielectric constant than

nonpolar capacitors. This means that they can store more
charge for a given voltage.

However, polar capacitors are also more susceptible to

dielectric breakdown, which is when the dielectric material
suddenly loses its insulating properties.
Nonpolar dielectrics.

Regardless of whether they have permanent electric dipole moments, molecules acquire dipole
moments by induction when placed in an external electric field.

Nonpolar capacitors are less susceptible to dielectric breakdown than polar capacitors. However, they
also have a lower dielectric constant, so they cannot store as much charge for a given voltage.
 Feature Polar Capacitor Nonpolar Capacitor
Dielectric constant High Low

Susceptibility to dielectric breakdown High Low

Typical applications High-voltage Low-voltage

The tree-like branch patterns in this clear glass block are known as a Lichtenberg figure, named for the
German physicist Georg Christof Lichtenberg (1742–1799), who was the first to study these patterns. The
“branches” are created by the dielectric breakdown produced by a strong electric field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJEAtH_BsSo
 The tuner in a radio is a
variable capacitor. The
changing area alters
capacitance until desired
signal is obtained.
A microphone converts sound waves into an electrical
signal (varying voltage) by changing
Dielectrics and Gauss’ Law
 Coaxial cable, is a type of electrical cable consisting of an
inner conductor surrounded by a concentric conducting shield, with the two
separated by a dielectric (insulating material); many coaxial cables also have a
protective outer sheath or jacket. The term "coaxial" refers to the inner
conductor and the outer shield sharing a geometric axis.

Coaxial cable is a type of transmission line, used to carry high-

frequency electrical signals with low losses.

It is used in such applications as telephone lines, broadband

internet networking cables, high-speed computer data busses, cable
television signals, and connecting radio transmitters and receivers to
their antennas. It differs from other shielded cables because the dimensions of
the cable and connectors are controlled to give a precise, constant conductor
spacing, which is needed for it to function efficiently as a transmission line.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/capacitor-lab

https://www.knowatom.com/interactive-simulations/capacitor-lab
https://ophysics.com/em5.html
https://aberinstruments.com/biotech/capacitance-measurement/#gref
The membrane of the axon of a nerve cell can be modeled as a thin cylindrical shell of radius 1.0 × 10−5 𝑚 having
a length of 10.0 cm and a thickness of 10.0 nm.
The membrane has a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other, and the membrane acts as a
parallel plate capacitor of area 2𝜋𝑟𝐿 and separation d. Assume the membrane is filled with a material whose
dielectric constant is 3.00.

(a) Find the capacitance of the membrane. If the potential difference across the membrane is 70.0 mV find (b) the
charge on the positively charged side of the membrane, and (c) the electric field strength in the membrane.
 -Q

Given 4 concentric cylinders of radii a,b,c,d and

charges +Q, -Q, +Q, -Q. +Q

Question: What is the capacitance between a and d? -Q

+
Q

a
b d

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/capacitor-lab-basics/latest/capacitor-lab-basics_en.html