PHYSICS MADE BY: ABHAY

SINHA
SESSION
PROJECT
2024 – 25
CLASS: XII A

TOPIC
“CAPACI
TOR
AND
IT’S

ARMY PUBLIC
SCHOOL NARANGI
 CERTIFICATE

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PHYSICS

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT ON THE TOPIC
“CAPACITOR AND IT’S WORKING ” IS DONE BY
ABHAY SINHA OF CLASS XII SCIENCE A OF ARMY
PUBLIC SCHOOL NARANGI.

THIS PROJECT IS AN AUTHENTIC PIECE OF WORK

CARIED UNDER OUR SUPERVISION. IT FULFILLS ALL
THE REQUIREMENTS AS PER CBSE GUIDELINES
PROVIDED BY THE SAME FOR ENGLISH PROJECT
PORTFOLIO.

SIGNATURE
PUSHPA ADHIKARI
(INTERNAL EXAMINER)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my immense gratitude to

my physics teacher for the help
and guidance he provided for completing this
project.
I also thank my parents who gave their ideas and
inputs in making this project.
Most of all I thank our school management, for
providing us the facilities and opportunity to do
this project.
Lastly, I would like to thanks my classmates who
have helped me in this project.Their support made
this project fruitful.
 INDEX
CONTENT PAGE NO.
CERTIFICATE 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3
TOPIC 5
INDTRODUCTION 6
STRUCTURE OF 7
CAPACITOR
CHARGE STORED IN 8
CAPACITOR
SELF-CAPACITANCE 9
CHARGING & 10
DISCHARGING OF
CAPACITORS
ENERGY STORED IN 11
CAPACITOR
TYPES OF CAPACITORS 12-14
USES OF CAPACITORS 15- 16
MAJOR DRAWBACKS 17
CONCLUSION 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY 19
 TOPIC

Capacitor and Its Working

INTRODUCTION
A capacitor is an electronic component used to store
electrical energy temporarily in an electric field. It consists of
two conductive plates separated by an insulating material
called a dielectric. When a voltage difference is applied
across the plates, electric charge accumulates on them,
creating an electric field between the plates. Capacitors are
widely used in electronic circuits for various purposes such as
filtering, smoothing power supply voltages, coupling signals
between stages, and storing energy in pulse circuits. They
come in various types and sizes, each suitable for different
applications based on factors like capacitance value, voltage
rating, and frequency response.
 STRUCTURE OF CAPACITOR

The internal structure of a capacitor consists of two main

components: conductive plates and a dielectric material. These
plates, typically made from materials like aluminium, tantalum, or
ceramic, are placed parallel to each other with a small gap in
between. The dielectric material, which could be paper, ceramic,
plastic film, or oxide layers, serves as an insulator between the
plates. This dielectric material determines the capacitor's
foil (-)
capacitance and other- electrical characteristics. The conductive
plates are connected to lead wires or terminals that extend outside
the capacitor, allowing it to be integrated into electrical circuits. The
entire assembly is often enclosed in a protective casing made of
materials like plastic or epoxy resin to safeguard it from physical
damage and environmental: factors. This basic structure enables
capacitors to store and release electrical energy efficiently, making
them indispensable in various applications across electronics, from
filtering and signal processing to energy storage and power factor
correction.
CHARGE STORED IN CAPACITOR

The amount of charge Q a capacitor can store depends on two major

factors the voltage applied and the capacitor's physical characteristics,
such as its size. In below given figure each electric field line starts on
an individual positive and ends on a negative one, so that there will
more field lines if there is more charge. The electric field strength is,
thus, directly proportional to Q.
The field is proportional to the charge: E oc Q
We know that V = Ed
so, V oc E
Hence, V oc Q
Removing sign of propotionality , we get Q= CV
where C is capacitance

The unit of capacitance is the farad (F), named after Michael Faraday
(1791-1867), an English scientist who contributed to the fields of
electromagnetism and electrochemistry. Since capacitance is charge
per unit voltage, we see that a farad IS a coulomb per volt. A I-farad
capacitor would be able to store (l coulomb with the application of
only I volt. is, thus a very large capacitance. Typical capacitors range
from fractions of a picofarad to milifarads

1C/1V= F
SELF CAPACITANCE

Self-capacitance property is related to the capacitors

especially to the isolated conductor to raise its potential
difference to one volt. Generally normal conductors will have
mutual capacitance. This is also measured in the S.I unit i.e.
Farads.

The self capacitance of a conducting sphere which has the

radius R is given by

Self-capacitance values of some standard devices are given below

1. ' For the top plate of a van de Graff generator which is
having radius of 20 cm self-capacitance is 22.24 pF.

2. For the planet EARTH self capacitance is 710Uf .

CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF
CAPACITOS

The charging and discharging of a capacitor are fundamental

processes in electronics. When charging a capacitor, it begins with no
voltage across its plates and is connected to a voltage source,
typically through a resistor. Initially, current flows rapidly as the
capacitor behaves like a short circuit, gradually accumulating charge
and increasing its voltage. The relationship between the capacitor
voltage, the source voltage, and time is governed by an exponential
function determined by the RC time constant of the circuit.
In contrast, discharging occurs when a charged capacitor is
connected across a resistor or short-circuited, allowing stored
charge to flow through the resistor. The capacitor's voltage
decreases exponentially over time as it discharges, following a
similar exponential function dependent on the initial voltage —
and the RC time constant. Understanding these processes is
crucial in electronics for designing circuits such as filters,
timers, and energy storage systems where capacitork play
pivotal roles in storing and releasing electrical energy
efficiently.
 ENERGY STORED IN CAPACITOR

Energy is the amount of some work against the electro-static field to

charge the capacitor fully. In the capacitor at initial stage of charging,
the charge Q transferred between the plates from one plate to another
plate. This charge either +Q or —Q is interchanged between two
plates of a capacitor. After transformation of some charge an electric
field is formed between the plates, in that case we need some extra
work to charge the capacitor fully. This extra work is called as the
energy stored in a capacitor, the energy is measured in the units of
Joules (J). Now see the equations for energy and work.

dW=VdQ

dW= (Q/C) Dq

after integrating we get W=(CV^2)/2 joules

Now we calculate the energy stored in a capacitor of capacitance 200!

1F which operate with the voltage of 12V.

W= 200 * 10^-6 *12^2 = 14.4mJ

2
TYPES OF CAPACITORS

1. Film Capacitor:

Film Capacitors comprising of a generally expansive

group of capacitors with the distinction being in their
dielectric properties.
Film Capacitors are available in almost any value and
voltages as high as 1500 volts.
They come in tolerance from 10% to 0.01%.
There are two types of film capacitors i.e. Radial lead
type & Axial lead type.
The electrodes of film capacitors may be metalized
aluminium or zinc.
2. Ceramic Capacitors

Ceramic capacitors are used in high frequency circuits such as

audio to RE.
Ceramic Capacitors are the best choice for high frequency
compensation in audio circuits.
These capacitors are also called as disc capacitors.
Ceramic capacitors are made by coating two sides of a small
porcelain or ceramic disc with silver and are then stacked
together to make a capacitor.
They come in values from a few Pico farads to I microfarad.
The voltage range is from a few volts up to many thousands of
volts.
3. Electrolytic Capacitor

There are two types of electrolytic capacitor, Tantalum and

Aluminium.
It is most prevalently used capacitors which have a wide
tolerance capacity.
Electrolytic capacitors are available with working voltages up
to about 500V.

Tantalums capacitors have ordinarily better exhibition, higher

value.
The dielectric properties of tantalum oxide is much superior to
those of aluminium oxide.
It has an easier leakage current and better capacitance strength
which makes them suitable for obstructing, decoupling, filtering
applications.
USES OF CAPACITORS

Capacitors are devices which store electrical charge. They are

a basic component of electronics and have a host of various
applications. The most common use for capacitors is energy
storage. Additional uses include power conditioning, signal
coupling or decoupling, electronic noise filtering, and remote
sensing. Because of its varied applications, capacitors are
used in a wide range of industries and have become a vital
part of everyday life.

1. Capacitors for Power Conditioning

One important application of capacitors is the conditioning of power
supplies. Capacitors allow AC signals to pass but block DC signals
when they are charged. They can effectively split these two signal
types, cleaning the supply of power. This effect has been exploited to
separate or decouple different parts of electrical circuits to reduce
noise which could lead to reduction of efficiency. Capacitors are also
used in utility substations to counteract inductive loading introduced
by transmission lines.

2. Capacitors as Sensors
Capacitors are used as sensors to measure a variety of things,
including air humidity, fuel levels and mechanical strain. The
capacitance of a device is dependent on its structure. Changes in the
structure can be measured as a loss or gain of capacitance. Two
aspects of a capacitor are used in sensing applications: the distance
between parallel plates and the material between them. The former is
used to detect mechanical changes such as acceleration and pressure.
Even minute changes in the material between the plates can be
enough to alter the capacitance of the device, an effect exploited when
sensing air humidity
3. Capacitors for Energy Storage
Capacitors have been used to store electrical energy since the
late 18th century. Benjamin Franklin was the first to coin the
phrase "battery" for a series of capacitors in an energy store
application. Individual capacitors generally do not hold a
great deal of energy, providing only enough power for
electronic devices to use during temporary power outages or
when they need additional power.For example , large
capacitors are included in car audio systems to provide extra
power to amplifiers when needed.
MAJOR DRAWBACKS OF
CAPACITORS

Capacitors, while useful components in electrical circuits, do have

some drawbacks:
' Limited Energy Storage: Capacitors can store electrical energy, but
compared to batteries, they have much lower energy density. This
means they can store less total energy for a given size and voltage
rating.

' Voltage Limitations: Capacitors have maximum voltage ratings

beyond which they can be damaged or fail. Exceeding this
voltage can cause breakdown of the dielectric material or even
physical damage to the capacitor.

' Leakage Current: All capacitors exhibit some amount of leakage

current, which can gradually discharge the capacitor over time.
This can be a significant factor in applications where the
capacitor needs to retain charge over long periods.

' Temperature Sensitivity: The capacitance value of a capacitor can

change with temperature which may affect the performance of
circuits relymg on precise capacitance values.

' Frequency Dependence: Capacitors can behave differently at

different frequencies due to parasitic effects such as inductance and
resistance. This can lead to deviations from ideal behavior,
impacting circuit performance in high-frequency applications.
 CONCLUSION

Capacitors are fundamental components in electronic

circuits, playing crucial roles such as energy storage, signal
filtering, and voltage regulation. They are constructed with
two conductive plates separated by a dielectric material,
enabling the temporary storage of electrical energy in an
electric field. This project has explored their internal
structure, operational principles, and various types,
illustrating their wide-ranging applications across
industries. However, capacitors do have inherent
limitations. These include -lower energy density compared
to batteries, maximum voltage ratings, potential leakage
currents, and sensitivity to temperature variations and
frequency dependencies. Engineers and designers must
carefully consider these factors when selecting capacitors to
ensure optimal performance and reliability in electronic
systems. Despite these challenges, ongoing advancements
in capacitor technology continue to address these
limitations, aiming to enhance efficiency and broaden their
utility in diverse and evolving technological applications.
REFERENCE

1.NCERT textbook class 12

2. www.google.com

3. www.YouTube.com

4. https://study.com

5 . Wikipedia.com