Chapter 25

CAPACITANCE
AND DIELECTRICS
Capacitance
A capacitor consists of two conductors separated
by an insulator.

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Applications of Capacitors –
Camera Flash
 The flash attachment on a camera uses a
capacitor
 A battery is used to charge the capacitor
 The energy stored in the capacitor is released when
the button is pushed to take a picture
 The charge is delivered very quickly, illuminating the
subject when more light is needed
Applications of Capacitors –
Computers
 Computers use
capacitors in many
ways
 Some keyboards use
capacitors at the bases of
the keys
 When the key is pressed,
the capacitor spacing
decreases and the
capacitance increases
 The key is recognized by
the change in
capacitance
 filters in power supplies

 used to tune the frequency of radio receivers

 air bag sensors for cars

 eliminate sparking in automobile ignition systems

 pulsed lasers
 Capacitors
e.g. 2: two parallel sheets
e.g. 1: two metal spheres

-
+Q -Q

Each conductor is called a plate

A potential difference V exists between the conductors due to

the presence of the charges.

What determines how much charge is on the plates of a capacitor

for a given voltage?
Experiments show that the charge in a capacitor is
proportional to the electric potential difference (voltage)
between the plates.

Q  V
Q  CV

The constant of proportionality C is the capacitance

which is a property of the conductor
Capacitance
Capacitance…….. is a measure of the
amount of charge a capacitor can store
(its “capacity”)
Q
C
V

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.
Units
Thus SI units of capacitance are:
Q
C
V C/V
Remember that V is also
J/C so unit is also C2J-1

This unit is also known as the farad

after Michael Faraday

1F=1C/V
SAP
A capacitor stores charge Q at a potential difference
ΔV. If the voltage applied by a batter y to the
capacitor is doubled to 2ΔV, (a) the capacitance
falls to half its initial value and the charge remains
the same (b) the capacitance and the charge both fall
to half their initial values (c) the capacitance and
the charge both double (d) the capacitance remains the
same and the charge doubles.
Parallel-Plate Capacitor,
Example
 The capacitor consists of two
parallel plates
 Each have area A
 They are separated by a
distance d
 The plates carry equal and
opposite charges
 When connected to the battery,
charge is pulled off one plate
and transferred to the other
plate
 The transfer stops when Vcap =
Vbattery
 Electric Field in a Parallel-Plate
Capacitor

 The electric field

between the plates is
uniform
 Near the center
 Nonuniform near the
edges
 The field may be taken
as constant throughout
the region between the
plates
 Parallel-Plate Capacitor
 The capacitance of a device depends on the geometric
arrangement of the conductors
 For a parallel-plate capacitor whose plates are separated by
air:
A
C  o
d
 That is, the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor is
proportional to the area of its plates and inversely proportional to
the plate separation
SAP
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; (b) the charge on each
plate; and (c) the magnitude of the electric field
between the plates
The Spherical Capacitor
Two concentric spherical conducting shells are separated by
vacuum. The inner shell has total charge +Q and outer radius ra
and the outer shell has charge -Q and inner radius rb. Find the
capacitance of this spherical capacitor.
Capacitors in Series and Parallel
Capacitors: series equivalent
Capacitors: parallel equivalent
Capacitors

series parallel

V V1+V2= Veq V1=V2

Q Q1=Q2 Q1+Q2= Qeq

SAP
Two capacitors are identical. They can be connected in
series or in parallel. If you want the smallest equivalent
capacitance for the combination, do you connect them
in (a) series, in (b) parallel, or (c) do the combinations
have the same capacitance?
SAP
The equivalent capacitance for two capacitors
1 CC
in series is C  .  1 2
eq 1  1 C C
C C 1 2
1 2
What is the equivalent capacitance for three capacitors in
series?
C1C2C3
A. Ceq  C1  C2  C3
C1  C2  C3 D. Ceq 
C1C2C3
C1C2  C2C3  C1C3
B. Ceq  C1C2C3
C1  C2  C3 E. Ceq 
C1C2  C2C3  C3C1
C1C2  C2C3  C3C1
C. Ceq 
C1C2C3
SAP
--Find the charge (Q) and potential difference (V) across each
capacitor.
Problem (ans)
Problem (ans)

Phys 133 -- Chapter 30

Energy Stored in an Electric Field:
The energy density, defined as the energy per unit volume, is the same no matter
the origin of the electric field:

1 2 1  A 1
U  CV   0  Ed    0 AdE
2 2

2 2 d 2
Energy U 1 2
u    0E
Volume Ad 2
The sudden discharge of electric energy can be harmful or fatal. Capacitors can
retain their charge indefinitely even when disconnected from a voltage source –
be careful!
SAP
A parallel-plate capacitor carries charge Q and is then
disconnected from a battery. The two plates are initially
separated by a distance d. Suppose the plates are pulled
apart until the separation is 2d. How has the energy stored in
this capacitor changed?
SAP
You have three capacitors and a battery. In which of the
following combinations of the three capacitors will the
maximum possible energy be stored when the combination is
attached to the battery? (a) series (b) parallel (c) Both
combinations will store the same amount of energy
SAP
You charge a parallel-plate capacitor, remove it from
the battery, and prevent the wires connected to the
plates from touching each other. When you pull the
plates apart to a larger separation, do the following
quantities increase, decrease, or stay the same? (a) C;
(b) Q; (c) E between the plates; (d) !V; (e) energy
stored in the capacitor.
 Capacitors with Dielectrics
A dielectric is a non-conducting material that, when placed
between the plates of a capacitor, increases the capacitance.

When placed in a charged capacitor, the dielectric reduces the

potential difference between the two plates

Dielectrics include rubber, glass, and waxed paper

With a dielectric, the capacitance becomes C = κCo.

The capacitance increases by the factor κ when the dielectric

completely fills the region between the plates.
If the capacitor remains connected to a battery, the voltage across the capacitor
necessarily remains the same.

If the capacitor is disconnected from the battery, the capacitor is an isolated system
and the charge remains the same.

A
C  k o
d
k  Dielectric
All insulating materials have a dielectric
constant associated with it.
In theory, d could be made very small to create a very large
capacitance.

In practice, there is a limit to d.

d is limited by the electric discharge that could occur

though the dielectric medium separating the plates.

For a given d, the maximum voltage that can be applied to a

capacitor without causing a discharge depends on the
dielectric strength of the material
All insulating materials have a maximum value for the
field strength that they can withstand
the dielectric strength Em

To produce maximum capacitance for a given size of

capacitor we want d to be as small as possible however,
as d is decreased the electric field E is increased

if E exceed Em the dielectric will break down there is

therefore a compromise between physical size and
breakdown voltage
Dielectric strength is the
maximum field a dielectric can
experience without breaking
down.
Dielectrics provide the following advantages:

Increase in capacitance

Increase the maximum operating voltage

Possible mechanical support between the plates

This allows the plates to be close together without touching.
This decreases d and increases C.
Here are two experiments where we insert and remove a
dielectric from a capacitor. In the first, the capacitor is
connected to a battery, so the voltage remains constant.
The capacitance increases, and therefore the charge on
the plates increases as well.

1 1 1 
U0  C 0V02 UK  C KV02  K  C 0V02   KU0  U0
2 2 2 
In this second experiment, we charge a capacitor,
disconnect it, and then insert the dielectric. In this case,
the charge remains constant. Since the dielectric
increases the capacitance, the potential across the
capacitor drops.

1 1 C 02V02 1 Q02 1 1 C K2VK2 1 Q02 1 Q02 1

U0  C 0V0 
2
 UK  C KVK 
2
   U0  U0
2 2 C0 2 C0 2 2 CK 2 C K 2 KC 0 K
 Concept Questions:
Dielectric in a Capacitor
Concept Question: Dielectric
A parallel plate capacitor is charged to a total charge Q and the
battery removed. A slab of material with dielectric constant
is inserted between the plates. The charge stored
in the capacitor

+ + + + + + + +

- - - - - - - -
1. Increases
2. Decreases
3. Stays the Same 39
Concept Question Answer: Dielectric
Answer: 3. Charge stays the same

+ + + + + + + +

- - - - - - - -

Since the capacitor is disconnected from a battery

there is no way for the amount of charge on it to
change.
Concept Question: Dielectric
A parallel plate capacitor is charged to a total charge Q and the
battery removed. A slab of material with dielectric constant
 in inserted between the plates. The energy stored in the
capacitor

+ + + + + + + +

- - - - - - - -
1. Increases
2. Decreases
3. Stays the Same
Concept Question Answer: Dielectric
Answer: 2. Energy stored decreases

The dielectric reduces the electric field and hence reduces

the amount of energy stored in the field.

The easiest way to think about this is that the capacitance is

increased while the charge remains the same so
U  Q 2 / 2C
Also from energy density:

2
1 1  E
uE ,0   0 E   0    uE ,0
2

2 2  
Concept Question: Dielectric
A parallel plate capacitor is charged to a total charge Q and the
battery removed. A slab of material with dielectric constant
in inserted between the plates. The force on the dielectric

+ + + + + + + +

- - - - - - - -

1. pulls in the dielectric

2. pushes out the dielectric
3. is zero
Concept Question Answer: Dielectric
Answer: 1. The dielectric is pulled in

We just saw that the energy is reduced by the

introduction of a dielectric. Since systems want to
reduce their energy, the dielectric will be sucked into
the capacitor.

Alternatively, since opposing charges are induced

on the dielectric surfaces close to the plates, the
attraction between these will lead to the attractive
force.
 SAP
.

A parallel-plate capacitor, filled with a

dielectric with K = 3.4, is connected to
a 100-V battery. After the capacitor is
fully charged, the battery is
disconnected. The plates have area A
= 4.0 m2 and are separated by d = 4.0
mm. (a) Find the capacitance, the
charge on the capacitor, the electric
field strength, and the energy stored
in the capacitor. (b) The dielectric is
carefully removed, without changing
the plate separation nor does any
charge leave the capacitor. Find the
new values of capacitance, electric
field strength, voltage between the plates,
and the energy stored in the capacitor.
Types of Capacitors – Tubular
Metallic foil may be
interlaced with thin sheets of
paraffin-impregnated paper
or Mylar.

The layers are rolled into a

cylinder to form a small
package for the capacitor.
Types of Capacitors – Oil
Filled
Common for high-voltage
capacitors

Anumber of interwoven
metallic plates are
immersed in silicon oil.
 Types of Capacitors – Electrolytic
Used to store large amounts of charge
at relatively low voltages

The electrolyte is a solution that

conducts electricity by virtue of motion
of ions contained in the solution.

When a voltage is applied between the

foil and the electrolyte, a thin layer of
metal oxide is formed on the foil.

This layer serves as a dielectric.

Large values of capacitance can be

obtained because the dielectric layer is
very thin and the plate separation is
very small.
Types of Capacitors – Variable

Variablecapacitors consist of two

interwoven sets of metallic plates.

Oneplate is fixed and the other is

movable.

Contain air as the dielectric

These capacitors generally vary

between 10 and 500 pF.

Used in radio tuning circuits

 Electric Dipole
An electric dipole consists of
two charges of equal magnitude
and opposite signs.

The charges are separated by

2a.

The electric dipole moment


(p ) is directed along the line
joining the charges from –q to
+q.
The electric dipole moment has a magnitude of
p ≡ 2aq

Assume the dipole is placed in a uniform external field, E

 E is external to the dipole; it is not the field
produced by the dipole

Assume the dipole makes an angle θ with the field

Electric Dipole, 3
Each charge has a force of F = Eq
acting on it.

The net force on the dipole is zero.

The forces produce a net torque on

the dipole.

The dipole is a rigid object under a

net torque.
The magnitude of the torque is:
= 2Fa sin θpE sin θ

The torque can also be expressed as the cross product of

the moment and the field:
   
  pE

Thesystem of the dipole and the external electric field can

be modeled as an isolated system for energy.

The potential energy can be expressed as a function of the

orientation of the dipole with the field:
Uf – Ui = pE(cos θi – cos θfU = - pE cos θ

This expression can be written as a dot product.

 
U  p E
Capacitance Summary
0 A
C
 Parallel Plate Capacitor d
L
C  2 0
 Cylindrical (nested cylinder) Capacitor ln(b / a )
ab
C  4 0
 Spherical (nested sphere) Capacitor ba

C  4 0 R
 Capacitance for isolated Sphere

 Units: length = C2/Nm = F (farad), named after

Michael Faraday. [note:  = 8.85 pF/m]