c

b
E

a
dr

at point a

at point b=r

R
r

at point c=r
r
R

2R
Closed spherical gaussian surface with r
Chapter 24 : Capacitance of capacitors and dielectrics

• A capacitor consists of two conductors separated by an insulator.

• The charges on each arbitrary shaped of conductor have the same
magnitude but opposite sign.

➢ Both conductors are initially uncharged. If we apply a potential

difference, the capacitor becomes charged. The charge on the conductors
is proportional to the potential difference.

➢ Capacitance ( C ) is the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on each

conductor to the magnitude of the potential difference.
Capacitance is a measure of the ability to store energy…

➢ Capacitance depends on i) the size and shape of the conductor and

ii) the nature of the insulating material.

• Parallel plate capacitors: Two parallel plate conductors separated by

distance d. Calculate capacitance for this system.

+

dr E
-

|𝑸| 𝑸
𝑪= =
|∆𝑽| ∆𝑽𝒂𝒃
𝒂
∆𝑽𝒂𝒃 = 𝑽𝒂 − 𝑽𝒃 = − ∫𝒃 ⃗𝑬
⃗ . 𝒅𝒍

𝑎
∫ 𝑑𝑙 = 𝑑
𝑏
 𝒂
∆𝑽𝒂𝒃 = 𝑽𝒂 − 𝑽𝒃 = − ∫𝒃 𝑬𝒅𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟏𝟖𝟎 = 𝑬𝒅 >0 so Va > Vb

Cos180=-1
E

dr
 |𝑸| 𝑸
𝑪= =
|∆𝑽| ∆𝑽𝒂𝒃
𝒃
∆𝑽𝒃𝒂 = 𝑽𝒃 − 𝑽𝒂 = − ∫𝒂 ⃗𝑬
⃗ . 𝒅𝒍 < 0

Qenc=+Q

due to inner spherical shell

𝑟𝑏
𝑄 𝑑𝑟
∆𝑉𝑏𝑎 =− ∫
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟𝑎 𝑟 2

𝑄 1
∆𝑉𝑏𝑎 = − [− ] put boundary conditions
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟

𝑄 1 1
∆𝑉𝑏𝑎 = [ − ]
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟𝑏 𝑟𝑎
𝑄 𝑟𝑎 −𝑟𝑏
∆𝑉𝑏𝑎 = [ ] <0 ; Vb<Va
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟𝑎 𝑟𝑏

𝑄 𝑟𝑏 −𝑟𝑎
∆𝑉𝑎𝑏 = [ ] >0
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟𝑎 𝑟𝑏
 𝑸𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅
∮ ⃗𝑬
⃗ . 𝒅𝑨
⃗⃗ =
𝟎
∮ 𝒅𝑨 = 𝟐𝝅𝒓𝑳 for cylindrical coordinate ; Qenc=+Q=𝑳 linear charge
density
𝑳
E 𝟐𝝅𝒓𝑳 =
𝟎

E =
𝟐𝝅𝜺𝟎 𝒓

𝒃
∆𝑽𝒃𝒂 = 𝑽𝒃 − 𝑽𝒂 = − ∫𝒂 ⃗𝑬
⃗ . 𝒅𝒍 <0

 𝒓𝒃
𝒅𝒓
∆𝑽𝒃𝒂 = 𝑽𝒃 − 𝑽𝒂 = − ∫
𝟐𝝅𝜺𝟎 𝒓𝒂 𝒓

∆𝑽𝒃𝒂 = 𝑽𝒃 − 𝑽𝒂 = − 𝒍𝒏𝒓
𝟐𝝅𝜺𝟎
 𝒓𝒃
∆𝑽𝒃𝒂 = 𝑽𝒃 − 𝑽𝒂 = − 𝒍𝒏 <0
𝟐𝝅𝜺𝟎 𝒓𝒂

𝑄 𝑄𝐿2𝜋𝜀0
𝐶= =
𝑉𝑎𝑏 𝑄𝑙𝑛(𝑟𝑏 )
𝑟𝑎
𝐶 2𝜋𝜀0
=
𝐿 𝑙𝑛(𝑟𝑏 )
𝑟𝑎
Q is total charge

q is charge at any stage

𝑸
V is total potential=
𝑪
𝒒
v is potential at any stage=𝑪

WFr

W  q Er

Er  V

W  qV
 ✓ Stored potential energy in a capacitor: U

𝑄2 1 2 1
𝑈= = 𝐶𝑉 = 𝑄𝑉
2𝐶 2 2
potential

✓ Energy density: u (energy per unit volume)

𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
Energy density = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒

𝑈
u=
𝑉
Volume

➢ Potential energy density, u for paralel plate capacitor :

 ➢ Up to now, we have determined the capacitance assuming that there is no
material in the space between the plates of capacitor. The presence of any
material alters the capacitance of capacitor between the plates and also
electric field and potential will be effected.

When the space between conductors is filled with a dielectric with a dielectric
constant K :

C increased by a factor of K.
Potential and electric field are decreased by a factor of K.
E0

Einduced
 𝐸⃗ = ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐸0 − ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐸𝑖𝑛𝑑 ( net electric field)
𝜎 𝜎𝑖 𝜎
⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐸0 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐸𝑖𝑛𝑑 = 𝐸⃗ =
𝜀0 𝜀0 𝜀

𝜀 = 𝐾𝜀0 (electric permitivity of dielectric)

𝜎 𝜎 𝜎𝑖
= −
𝐾𝜀0 𝜀0 𝜀0
E0 : electric field in vacuum

Ei : electric field due to

𝜎𝑖 < 𝜎
 : surface charge density induced charges
𝐸𝑖 < 𝐸

𝐾−1 i : induced surface charge

𝜎𝑖 = 𝜎( )
𝐾 density

𝑄 𝑄𝑖
𝜎= 𝜎𝑖 =
𝐴 𝐴
𝜎 𝑄 𝜎𝑖 𝑄𝑖 𝜎 𝑄
⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐸0 = = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐸 𝑖𝑛𝑑 = = 𝐸⃗ = =
𝜀0 𝐴𝜀0 𝜀0 𝐴𝜀0 𝜀 𝐴𝐾𝜀0
𝑄 𝑄 𝑄𝑖
= −
𝐴𝐾𝜀0 𝐴𝜀0 𝐴𝜀0
𝐾−1 Qi : induced charges due to
𝑄𝑖 = 𝑄( )
𝐾 dielectric

➢ The presence of dielectric reduces the magnitude of electric field.

+Q Q : Free charges in
conductor

Qinduced : Bounded
charges in dielectric

-Q

6.90kV/m
 Gauss’s law in dielectric: Consider a dielectric slab between the space of
conductors. Determine electric field at any points inside dielectric.

1st Conductor with +Q

Closed qaussian surface

Dielectric with +Qi and -Qi
Qenc=Q-Qi

Q : Free charges in 2nd Conductor with - Q

conductor

Qi :Bounded charges
in dielectric

𝑄 − 𝑄𝑖
∮ 𝐸⃗ 𝑑𝑎 =
𝜀0
𝐾−1
We proved before 𝑄𝑖 = 𝑄( )
𝐾

𝑄𝐾 − 𝑄
𝜀0 ∮ 𝐸⃗ 𝑑𝑎 = 𝑄 − ( )
𝐾
𝑄𝐾 − 𝑄𝐾 + 𝑄
𝜀0 ∮ 𝐸⃗ 𝑑𝑎 =
𝐾
𝑄
𝜀0 ∮ 𝐸⃗ 𝑑𝑎 =
𝐾
𝑄𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒
∮ 𝐾𝐸⃗ 𝑑𝑎 = 𝜀
0
 o Gauss law in vacuum :

o Gauss law in dielectric :

-Q
+Q


K

In vacuum

𝜺 = 𝑲𝜺𝟎
 +Q
K1

a
c K2
b
-Q