Topic: Capacitors: PSHS-CVC Grade 10/phy 2

PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
Topic: CAPACITORS
Target Number of Sessions: 1
After completing this module, you are expected to:

 Describe the mechanism of charging and discharging a capacitor in terms
of flow of charges in a circuit
 Define capacitance and relate the stored charge in a capacitor to the
voltage across it
 Identify the factors that determine the capacitance of a capacitor
 Compute for effective capacitance
This learning guide will show us how capacitors store electrical charges and how
these charges are released in a circuit. It also focuses on how to determine how
much charge a capacitor can store when it is connected to a battery with a
particular amount of voltage or potential difference.
CAPACITOR:
• a device that stores charge on conductors
• may be used in a circuit by storing charge on two parallel plates and then
periodically releasing it into the circuit, creating an intermittent flow of
charge
PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
A simple capacitor consists of a pair of parallel plates of area A separated by

a small distance d, figure a. Often the two plates are rolled into the form of a
cylinder with paper or other insulator separating the plates, figure b . The is a
photo of some actual capacitors used for various applications, figure c.
In circuit diagrams, the symbols represents a capacitor. A

battery, which is a source of voltage, is indicated by the symbol with
unequal arms.
What happens when a capacitor is charging and discharging?
Charging:
battery
resistor
capacitor
As soon as the switch is closed in position 1 the battery is connected across the
capacitor, current flows and the potential difference across the capacitor begins
to rise until the capacitor is then fully
charged.
Discharging :
PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
When the switch is put in position 2, current starts to flow and the potential
difference across the capacitor drops until the charge, current and potential
difference on the plates become zero- the capacitor is fully discharged.
CAPACITANCE- is a measure of the amount of charge stored on the

conductors for a given potential difference or in equation form
C=Q/V.
Where: C-capacitance (farads, F)

1 coulombs/volt =1 farads
Q- charge on the plates (coulombs, C)
V- voltage between the plates (volts,V)
PARALLEL-PLATE CAPACITOR
The capacitance of a capacitor depends only on the geometry of the plates and
not on their charge or potential difference.
Dependent on area and distance between plates

-The greater the area of the plates, the greater the capacitance
-The shorter the distance between the plates, the greater the capacitance
Equation:
C= ε0 A
d
Where:
C-capacitance (farads, F)
A-area of the plates (metersquared, m2)
d-distance of separation between the plates (meters,m)
PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
ε0=permittivity constant=8.85 x 10-12 farads/meter (F/m)

It represents the capability of a vacuum to permit electric fields
Take note that:

*Capacitance only depends on the area and distance of separation between the
parallel plates.
Formulas:
C=Q/V
C= ε0 A
d
Examples:
1. A parallel-plate capacitor has a capacitance of 1 F. If the plates are 1 mm

apart, what is the area of the plates?
Given: C= 1 F
d= 1mm=0.001m
ε0=8.85 x 10-12 F/m
Required: A
C=ε0 A/d
Isolate A=Cd/ ε0
= 1 F(0.001m)/ 8.85 x 10-12 F/m
=1.13 x108 m2
2. The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor in vacuum are 5 mm apart and 2m2 in

area. A potential difference of 10kV is applied across the capacitor. Determine
the
a) capacitance
b) b) charge on each plate
Given: V= 10 kV=1x104 V
d= 5mm=0.005m
A= 2m2
ε0=8.85 x 10-12 F/m
Required: C , Q
PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
a) C=ε0 A/d
= 8.85 x 10-12 (2)/0.005
=3.54 x10-9 F
b) C=Q/V
Q=CV
= 3.54 x10-9 (1x104)
=3.54 x10-5 C
3. A photographer pushes the shutter button of his/her camera and the flash unit
releases the 4.5 x 10-3 C of charge that was stored in a 500 µF capacitor. What is
the potential difference across the plates of the capacitor inside the flash?
Given: Q= 4.5 x 10-3 C

C= 500 µF= 5 x 10-4 F
Required: V
ESA: C=Q/V
V=Q/C
= 4.5 x 10-3 / 5 x 10-4
=9V
For more examples and video tutorials, you may visit the following links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5bzjs3ByBU
http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/capacitor-lab-basics/latest/capacitor-lab-
basics_en.html
Please solve the following problems on your notebook.

1. A parallel-plate capacitor has square plates 7.5 cm on a side, separated by 0.29
mm. The capacitor is charged to 12V, then disconnected from the charging
power supply.
(a) Calculate the capacitance of this capacitor. 1.7 x10-10 F
(b) What is the total charge on each plate? What is the charge density on the
plates?2.1 x10-9 C
2. (a) What is the capacitance of an empty parallel-plate capacitor with metal
PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
plates that each have an area of 1.00m2, separated by 1.00 mm?? 8.85 x10-9 F
(b)How much charge is stored in this capacitor if a voltage of 3.00×103V is
applied to it? 26.6 µC
3. Suppose you wish to construct a parallel-plate capacitor with a capacitance of

1.0 F. What area must you use for each plate if the plates are separated by 1.0
mm? 1.1 x 10 8 m2
ASSIGNMENT
Please work on the following problems. Show your complete solution on a whole
sheet of paper.
• 1. The nervous system of the human body contains axons whose
membranes act as small capacitors. A membrane is capable of storing 1.2x
10-9 C of charge across a potential difference of 0.070 V before
discharging nerve impulses through the body. What is the capacitance of
one of these axon membranes?
• 2. During a lightning storm, the separation between the clouds and the
earth acts as a giant capacitor with a capacitance of 2500 µF. If the
transmitting tower of radio station A is hit by a bolt of lightning carrying
50 µC of charge, what is the potential difference between the cloud and
the tower?
• 3. How much charge flows if a capacitor discharges a 50 µF across a

potential difference of 24 V?
• 4. On Saturday nights, Greg likes to go the Frisco Disco, where he can
dance under the strobe light. The strobe contains a 200 µF capacitor that
stores charge over a 1000-V potential difference. If the strobe flashes 4
times each second, what is the current flow created by the strobe’s
capacitor?
Prepared by:
LORRAINE GAY R. CALIXTRO
PSHS-CVC
Grade 10/Phy 2
Recommending Approval:
GARRY JUN M. MAYAWIN ROSALINDA O. LUWANG
Unit Head CID Head
Approved by:
SALVADOR B. ROMO
Director III

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PSHS-CVC

After completing this module, you are expected to:

• a device that stores charge on conductors

A simple capacitor consists of a pair of parallel plates of area A separated by

In circuit diagrams, the symbols represents a capacitor. A

What happens when a capacitor is charging and discharging?

CAPACITANCE- is a measure of the amount of charge stored on the

Where: C-capacitance (farads, F)

Dependent on area and distance between plates

ε0=permittivity constant=8.85 x 10-12 farads/meter (F/m)

Take note that:

1. A parallel-plate capacitor has a capacitance of 1 F. If the plates are 1 mm

2. The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor in vacuum are 5 mm apart and 2m2 in

Given: Q= 4.5 x 10-3 C

Please solve the following problems on your notebook.

3. Suppose you wish to construct a parallel-plate capacitor with a capacitance of

• 3. How much charge flows if a capacitor discharges a 50 µF across a

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