ECKO ANTHONY P.

DIAZ
GRADE 12 STEM C

GENERAL PHYSICS
Activity 1
−6
𝑄 9μ𝐶 9𝑥10 𝐶
1. 𝐶 = 𝑉𝑎𝑏
= 5𝑉
= 5𝑉
= 1.8 x 10-6 F

What changes do you think you will observe to the capacitance 𝐶 when:

a. the charge 𝑄 is changed to 𝑄 = 15 𝜇𝐶? How?

Answer:

−5
0.000001𝐶 −5 1.5𝑥10 −6
𝑄 = 15μ𝐶 1μ𝐶
= 0. 000015𝐶 𝑜𝑟 1. 5𝑥10 →𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠, 𝐶 = 5𝑉
= 3 𝑥 10 𝐹

b. the potential difference 𝑉𝑎𝑏 is changed to 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 1 𝑉? How?

Answer:
−6
𝑄 9μ𝐶 9𝑥10 −6
𝐶= 𝑉𝑎𝑏
= 1𝑉
= 1𝑉
= 9 𝑥 10 𝐹

2. 𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉𝑎𝑏 = (50 𝑝𝐹)(1.5 𝑉) = (50𝑥10−12 𝐹)(1.5 𝑉) = 7.5 x 10-11 C

What changes do you think you will observe to the charge 𝑄 when:

a. the capacitance 𝐶 is changed to 𝐶 = 30 𝑛𝐹? How?

Answer:

−8 −8
𝐶 = 30 𝑛𝐹
1𝐹
1,000,000,000 𝑛𝐹
= 3 𝑥 10 → = 3 𝑥 10( )(1. 5) = 4. 5 𝑥 10−8 𝐶

b. the potential difference 𝑉𝑎𝑏 is changed to 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 3.0 𝑉? How?

Answer:

−12 −10
𝑄 = 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = (50 𝑝𝐹)(3. 0 𝑉) = (50 𝑥 10 )(3. 0 𝑉) = 1. 5 𝑥 10 𝐶

−2
𝑄 8.0 𝑥 10 𝐶
3. 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 𝐶
= −2 = 2. 29 𝑉
3.5 𝑥 10 𝐹

What changes do you think you will observe to the potential difference 𝑉𝑎𝑏 when:

a. the charge 𝑄 is changed to 𝑄 = 1.0 𝐶? How?

𝑄 1.0 𝐶
𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 𝐶
= −2 = 28. 57 𝑉
3.5 𝑥 10 𝐹

b. the capacitance 𝐶 is changed to 𝐶 = 4.0 𝑥 10−3 𝐹? How?

−2
𝑄 8.0 𝑥 10 𝐶
𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 𝐶
= −3 = 20. 0 𝑉
4.0 𝑥 10 𝐹
ECKO ANTHONY P. DIAZ
GRADE 12 STEM C

4. What can you infer from the items above? What do you think are the effects of changing
the values of charge and potential difference to the capacitance of a capacitor? Expound your
answer in three to four sentences only.

Capacitors are devices that temporarily store energy in circuits and can be programmed to
release it as needed. An electric field exists within a capacitor when energy is stored in it, and
the stored energy can be linked to an electric field. The study of capacitors and capacitance
brings us to an important component of electric fields: field energy.

5. In this item, a sample problem is given for you to examine. After a deep examination on the
given sample, you are to describe what happens to the capacitance, charge, potential
difference, and electric field of a parallel-plate capacitor when a dielectric is inserted between
the two plates.

When a dielectric is placed between the plates of a charged capacitor, its energy is reduced.
Because Q is constant, the voltage lowers as the thickness of the dielectric increases. When a
capacitor is subjected to a polarizing field, it may store more charge for a given potential
difference.

Activity 2

1. Size of 1 1-F Capacitor

The parallel plates of the 1.0-F capacitor are 1.0 mm apart. What is this area?
−3
𝐴 𝐶𝑥𝐷 (1.0 𝐹)(1× 10 𝑚) 8 2
𝐶 = ε0 𝐷
→𝐴 = ε0
= −12 = 112866817. 2 = 1. 1 𝑥 10 𝑚
8.86 𝑥 10 𝑚

2. Properties of a parallel-plate capacitor

The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor in vacuum are 5.00 mm apart and 2.00 m2 in area. A
10.0-KV potential difference is applied across the capacitor. Compute:

(a) the capacitance;

2
𝐴 𝐴 −12 2𝑚 −9
𝐶 = ε0 𝐷
→𝐶 = ε0 𝐷
= 8. 86 𝑥 10 −3 = 3. 54 𝑥 10 𝐹 or 0.00354 µF
5 𝑥 10 𝑚

(b) the charge on each plate; and

solution:
−9 −5
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉 = (3. 54 𝑥 10 𝐹)(10, 000 𝑉) = 3. 54 𝑥 10 𝐶 𝑜𝑟 35. 4 µ𝐶

(c) the magnitude of the electric field between the plates.

𝑉 10,000 𝑉 𝑁 6
𝐸= 𝐷
= −3 = 2, 000, 000 𝐶
𝑜𝑟 2. 0 𝑥 10 𝑁/𝐶
5 𝑥 10 𝑚
ECKO ANTHONY P. DIAZ
GRADE 12 STEM C

3. Capacitors in series and in parallel in Fig.4, and Fig.5, let 𝐶1 = 6.0 𝜇𝐹, 𝐶2 = 3.0 𝜇𝐹, and 𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 18 𝑉.
Find the equivalent capacitance and the charge and potential difference for each capacitor
when the capacitors are connected:

(a) in series (see Fig.4)

𝑉 18 𝑉
𝐶𝑒𝑞 = 𝐷
= 9.0µ
= 2. 0 µ𝐹

𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉 = (2. 0 µ𝐹)(18 𝑉) = 36 µ𝐶
𝑄 36 µ𝐶
𝑉𝑎𝑐 = 𝐶1
= 6 µ𝐹
= 6. 0 𝑉

𝑄 36 µ𝐶
𝑉𝑐𝑏 = 𝐶2
= 3.0 µ𝐹
= 12. 0 𝑉

(b) in parallel (see Fig.5)

𝐶𝑒𝑞 = 𝐶1 + 𝐶2 = 6. 0 µ𝐹 + 3. 0 µ𝐹 = 9. 0 µ𝐹

𝑄1 = 𝐶1 + 𝑉 = (6. 0 µ𝐹)(18 𝑉) = 108 µ𝐶

𝑄2 = 𝐶2 + 𝑉 = (3. 0 µ𝐹)(18 𝑉) = 54 µ𝐶

𝑄 108+54 µ𝐶
𝑉= 𝐶
= 9.0 µ𝐹
= 18 𝑉

4. For the system of capacitors shown in Fig. 9, find the equivalent capacitance

(a) between b and c :

𝐶𝑒𝑞 = 𝐶1 + 𝐶2 = 9 𝑝𝐹 + 11 𝑝𝐹 = 20 𝑝𝐹

(b) between a and c:

1 1 1 1 1 7 60
𝐶𝑒𝑞
= 𝐶1
+ 𝐶2
= 15
+ 20
= 60
→ (𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒) 𝐶𝑒𝑞 = 7
= 8. 6 𝑝𝐹

Reflection

The fundamental function of capacitors is to store electrostatic energy in an electric field and
provide this energy to the circuit when needed. In order to prevent a dangerous circuit
breakdown, they allow AC current to pass but restrict DC current from flowing. Dielectrics in
capacitors keep the conducting plates apart, allowing for smaller plate separations and
consequently larger capacitances. A dielectric is also required for a capacitor since it allows the
capacitor to modify its efficacy and have higher capacitances. A capacitor is a required
component of an electric circuit; without it, the circuit would be incomplete and inoperable. As
a result, without one of these two, there would be no electronic sector because there would be
no electricity.