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Lecture 7

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8 views15 pages

Lecture 7

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Julyantho Tunde
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Physics 2102

Jonathan Dowling

Physics 2102
Lecture 7
Capacitors I
Capacitors and Capacitance
Capacitor: any two conductors,
one with charge +Q, other
with charge –Q
–Q
Potential DIFFERENCE between +Q
conductors = V Uses: storing and releasing
electric charge/energy.
Q = CV where C = capacitance Most electronic capacitors:
micro-Farads (F),
Units of capacitance: pico-Farads (pF) — 10–12 F
Farad (F) = Coulomb/Volt New technology:
compact 1 F capacitors
Capacitance
• Capacitance depends only
on GEOMETRICAL
factors and on the
MATERIAL that
separates the two
conductors +Q
–Q
• e.g. Area of conductors,
separation, whether the
space in between is filled (We first focus on capacitors
with air, plastic, etc. where gap is filled by AIR!)
Electrolytic (1940-70) Paper (1940-70)
Electrolytic (new)

Capacitors

Variable
air, mica

Mica
Tantalum (1980 on) Ceramic (1930 on)
(1930-50
Parallel Plate Capacitor
We want capacitance: C=Q/V
Area of each
E field between the plates: (Gauss’ Law) plate = A
σ Q Separation = d
E= = charge/area = 
ε0 ε0 A
= Q/A
Relate E to potential difference V:
+Q
dr r d Q Qd -Q
V = ∫E ⋅dx = ∫ dx =
0 ε A
0 0
ε0 A
What is the capacitance C ?
Q ε0 A
C= =
V d
Capacitance and Your iPod!
Q ε0 A
C= =
V d
Parallel Plate Capacitor — Example
• A huge parallel plate capacitor
consists of two square metal plates of
side 50 cm, separated by an air gap of
1 mm
• What is the capacitance?

C = 0A/d
= (8.85 x 10–12 F/m)(0.25 m2)/(0.001 m)
= 2.21 x 10–9 F
(Very Small!!) Lesson: difficult to get large values
of capacitance without special
tricks!
Isolated Parallel Plate Capacitor

• A parallel plate capacitor of


capacitance C is charged using a
battery. +Q –Q
• Charge = Q, potential difference = V.
• Battery is then disconnected.
• If the plate separation is INCREASED,
does Potential Difference V:

(a) Increase? • Q is fixed!


(b) Remain the same? • C decreases (=0A/d)
(c) Decrease? • Q=CV; V increases.
Parallel Plate Capacitor & Battery
• A parallel plate capacitor of
capacitance C is charged using a
battery.
• Charge = Q, potential difference = V. +Q –Q
• Plate separation is INCREASED while
battery remains connected.

Does the Electric Field Inside:


(a) Increase?
(b) Remain the Same?
(c) Decrease? • V is fixed by battery!
• C decreases (=0A/d)
• Q=CV; Q decreases
• E = Q/ 0A decreases
Spherical Capacitor

What is the electric field inside Radius of outer


the capacitor? (Gauss’ Law) plate = b
Q Radius of inner
E= plate = a
4πε 0 r 2
Concentric spherical shells:
Charge +Q on inner shell,
Relate E to potential difference
–Q on outer shell
between the plates:
b r b b
r kQ ⎡ kQ ⎤ ⎡1 1 ⎤
V = ∫E ⋅dr = ∫ 2 dr = ⎢− ⎥ = kQ ⎢ − ⎥
a a
r ⎣ r ⎦a ⎣a b ⎦
Spherical Capacitor
What is the capacitance? Radius of outer
C = Q/V = plate = b
Q Radius of inner
= plate = a
Q ⎡1 1 ⎤
⎢ − ⎥ Concentric spherical shells:
4πε 0 ⎣a b ⎦ Charge +Q on inner shell,
–Q on outer shell
4πε 0 ab
= Isolated sphere: let b >> a,
(b −a)
C = 4πε 0 a
Cylindrical Capacitor
What is the electric field in
between the plates? Gauss’ Law!
Radius of outer
Q plate = b
E= Radius of inner
2πε 0 rL plate = a
Length of capacitor = L
Relate E to potential difference +Q on inner rod, –Q on outer shell
between the plates:
cylindrical
br r Gaussian
V = ∫E ⋅dr surface of
a radius r
b b
Q ⎡ Q lnr ⎤ Q ⎛b ⎞
=∫ dr = ⎢ ⎥ = 2πε L ln⎜ a ⎟
a
2πε 0 rL ⎣2πε 0 L ⎦a 0 ⎝ ⎠
Summary
• Any two charged conductors form a capacitor.

•Capacitance : C= Q/V

•Simple Capacitors:

Parallel plates: C = 0 A/d

Spherical: C = 4 0 ab/(b-a)

Cylindrical: C = 2 0 L/ln(b/a)]
Capacitors in Parallel
• A wire is an equipotential
surface!
• Capacitors in parallel have Q1 C1
SAME potential difference but A B
NOT ALWAYS same charge!
Q2 C2
• VAB = VCD = V D
C
• Qtotal = Q1 + Q2
• CeqV = C1V + C2V
• Ceq = C1 + C2 Qtotal Ceq
• Equivalent parallel
capacitance = sum of
capacitances
Capacitors in Series

• Q1 = Q2 = Q (WHY??) Q1 Q2
B C
• VAC = VAB + VBC A

Q Q Q C1 C2
= +
Ceq C1 C2
1 1 1 Q
= +
Ceq C1 C2

SERIES: Ceq
• Q is same for all capacitors
• Total potential difference = sum of V

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