Capacitance and Capacitors

Capacitance

A capacitor is basically two

parallel conducting plates with air E
or insulating material in between.

V0 L V1

A capacitor
doesn’t have to
Capacitor for use
look like metal
in high-
plates. performance
audio systems.
The symbol representing a capacitor
in an electric circuit looks like
parallel plates.
Here’s the symbol for a battery, or an
external potential. +-

When a capacitor is connected to an external

potential, charges flow onto the plates and create a
potential difference between the plates.
Capacitor
plates build up
-+- charge.

V -
The battery in this circuit has some voltage V. We haven’t
discussed what that means yet.
 +-
If the external potential is
disconnected, charges remain on conducting

the plates, so capacitors are good wires

for storing charge (and energy). +-

V
Capacitors are also very good at
releasing their stored charge all at once.
The capacitors in your tube-type TV are
so good at storing energy that touching
the two terminals at the same time can
be fatal, even though the TV may not
have been used for months.
High-voltage TV capacitors are supposed to have
“bleeder resistors” that drain the charge away
after the circuit is turned off. I wouldn’t bet my life
on it.
Graphic from
http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/.
assortment
of
capacitors
 +Q -Q
Here’s this V
again. It is the
C potential
difference
provided by the
“external
potential.” For
+ - example, the
voltage of a
V battery.
The magnitude of charge acquired by each plate of a
capacitor is Q=CV where C is the capacitance of the
capacitor.
Q
C C is always
V positive.

The unit of C is the farad but most capacitors have

values of C ranging from picofarads to microfarads
(pF to F).
micro 10-6, nano 10-9, pico 10-12 (Know for exam!)
Today’s agenda:

Capacitance.
You must be able to apply the equation C=Q/V.

Capacitors: parallel plate, cylindrical,

spherical.
You must be able to calculate the capacitance of capacitors having these
geometries, and you must be able to use the equation C=Q/V to calculate
parameters of capacitors.

Circuits containing capacitors in series and parallel.

You must be understand the differences between, and be able to calculate the
“equivalent capacitance” of, capacitors connected in series and parallel.
Parallel Plate Capacitance

We previously calculated the electric - +Q

field between two parallel charged Q
plates:  Q E
E  .
0 0 A
This is valid when the separation is V0 d V1
small compared with the plate A
dimensions.
We also showed that E and V are related:
  d d
V   E d  E  dx Ed .
0 0

Q Q Q 0 A
This lets us calculate C C   
for a parallel plate V Ed  Q  d
 d
capacitor.  0 A 
 Q
Reminders: C 
V

Q is the magnitude of the charge on either plate.

V is actually the magnitude of the potential

difference between the plates. V is really |V|.
Your book calls it Vab.

C is always positive.
Parallel plate capacitance depends
“only” on geometry. - +Q
0 A Q
C E
d
This expression is approximate, and
must be modified if the plates are V0 d V1
small, or separated by a medium A
other than a vacuum (lecture 9).

 0 A
C
d

Greek letter Kappa.

For today’s lecture
(and for exam 1), use
Kappa=1.
Coaxial Cylinder Capacitance

We can also calculate the capacitance 

of a cylindrical capacitor (made of
coaxial cylinders).
L
The next slide shows a cross-section
view of the cylinders.
  
b b
Gaussian
2kλ
E=
ΔV = Vb - Va = - E d  = - E r dr surface r
a a

b
dr b
 b r
ΔV = - 2k λ  = - 2k λ ln  
a
r a a
Q
Q λL λL E
C= = =
ΔV ΔV  b
2k λ ln  
a -Q
d

L 2πε 0 L
C= = This derivation is sometimes
 b  b needed for homework
2k ln   ln  
a a problems!
C 2πε 0
Lowercase c is capacitance per unit length:
c= =
L  b
ln  
a
Isolated Sphere Capacitance

An isolated sphere can be thought of as concentric

spheres with the outer sphere at an infinite distance
and zero potential.
We already know the potential outside a conducting
sphere: Q
V .
4 0 r

The potential at the surface of a charged sphere of

radius R is Q
V
4 0 R
so the capacitance at the surface of an isolated sphere
is Q
C 4 0 R.
V
Capacitance of Concentric Spheres

Let’s calculate the capacitance of a concentric

spherical capacitor of charge Q.
I’ll skip this calculation if there is no related homework assigned.

In between the spheres

Q b
E
4 0 r 2 a

+Q
Q bdr Q  1 1
V 
4 0 a r 2  40  a  b 
-Q

Q 4 0
C 
V 1 1 You need to do this derivation if you
 a  b  have a problem on spherical
capacitors!
alternative calculation of capacitance of isolated sphere

b
Q 4 0
C  a
V 1 1
 a  b  +Q

-Q

Let aR and b to get the capacitance of an isolated

sphere.
 Example: calculate the capacitance of a capacitor
whose plates are 20 cm x 3 cm and are separated by a
1.0 mm air gap.
0 A
C
d

C
8.85 10  12
0.2 0.03
0.001
d = 0.001
 12 area = 0.2 x 0.03
C 53 10 F

C 53 pF

If you keep everything in SI (mks) units, the result is “automatically” in SI units.

 Example: what is the charge on each plate if the
capacitor is connected to a 12 volt* battery?

0V
Q CV

Q 53 10 12 12  V= 12V

Q 6.4 10 10 C
+12 V

*Remember, it’s the potential difference that matters.

If you keep everything in SI (mks) units, the result is “automatically” in SI units.

 Example: what is the electric field between the plates?

V 0V
E
d

12V V= 12V

E E
0.001 m
d = 0.001
 V
E 12000 ,"up." +12 V
m

If you keep everything in SI (mks) units, the result is “automatically” in SI units.

Today’s agenda:

Capacitance.
You must be able to apply the equation C=Q/V.

Capacitors: parallel plate, cylindrical, spherical.

You must be able to calculate the capacitance of capacitors having these
geometries, and you must be able to use the equation C=Q/V to calculate
parameters of capacitors.

Circuits containing capacitors in series and

parallel.
You must be understand the differences between, and be able to calculate the
“equivalent capacitance” of, capacitors connected in series and parallel.
Capacitors in Circuits
Recall: this is the symbol
representing a capacitor in an
electric circuit.
And this is the symbol for a battery… + -

…or this…

…or this.
Circuits Containing Capacitors in Parallel
Vab
Capacitors connected in parallel:
C1

C2
a b
C3

+ -

V
The potential difference (voltage drop) from a to b must
equal V.
Vab = V = voltage drop across each individual capacitor.

Note how I have introduced the idea that when circuit components are connected in parallel, then
the voltage drops across the components are all the same. You may use this fact in
homework solutions.
 C1
Q=CV Q1
+ C2 -
 Q1 = C1 V a
Q2
& Q2 = C2 V C3
Q3
& Q3 = C3 V + -

Now imagine replacing the parallel Ceq

a
combination of capacitors by a single Q
equivalent capacitor.

By “equivalent,” we mean “stores the + -

same total charge if the voltage is the V
same.”
Q1 + Q2 + Q3 = Ceq V = Q Important!
Summarizing the equations on the last slide: C1

Q1 = C1 V Q2 = C2 V Q3 = C3 V C2
a b
Q1 + Q2 + Q3 = Ceq V C3

+ -
Using Q1 = C1V, etc., gives
V
C1V + C2V + C3V = Ceq V
C1 + C2 + C3 = Ceq (after dividing both sides by V)

Generalizing:
Ceq = Ci (capacitors in parallel)
Circuits Containing Capacitors in Series
Capacitors connected in series:

C1 C2 C3

+ -
+Q V -Q

An amount of charge +Q flows from the battery to the

left plate of C1. (Of course, the charge doesn’t all flow at once).
An amount of charge -Q flows from the battery to the
right plate of C3. Note that +Q and –Q must be the
same in magnitude but of opposite sign.
The charges +Q and –Q attract equal and opposite
charges to the other plates of their respective
capacitors: C1 C2 C3
A B
+Q -Q +Q -Q +Q -Q

+ -

V
These equal and opposite charges came from the
originally neutral circuit regions A and B.

Because region A must be neutral, there must be a

charge +Q on the left plate of C2.

Because region B must be neutral, there must be a

charge --Q on the right plate of C2.
 Vab

C1 C2 C3
a A B b
+Q -Q +Q -Q +Q -Q
V1 V2 V3
+ -

The charges on C1, C2, and C3 are the same, and are
Q = C 1 V1 Q = C 2 V2 Q = C 3 V3

But we don’t know V1, V2, and V3 yet.

We do know that Vab = V and also Vab = V1 + V2 + V3.

Note how I have introduced the idea that when circuit components are connected in series, then
the voltage drop across all the components is the sum of the voltage drops across the individual
components. This is actually a consequence of the conservation of energy. You may use this
Let’s replace the three capacitors by a single equivalent
capacitor.
Ceq

+Q -Q
V
+ -

By “equivalent” we mean V is the same as the total

voltage drop across the three capacitors, and the
amount of charge Q that flowed out of the battery is the
same as when there were three capacitors.
Q = Ceq V
Collecting equations:

Q = C 1 V1 Q = C 2 V2 Q = C 3 V3 Important!

Vab = V = V1 + V2 + V3.

Q = Ceq V
Q Q Q
Substituting for V1, V2, and V3: V = + +
C1 C2 C3

Q Q Q Q
Substituting for V: = + +
Ceq C1 C2 C3

1 1 1 1
Dividing both sides by Q: = + +
Ceq C1 C2 C3
Generalizing:
1 1
OSE: = (capacitors in series)
Ceq i Ci
Example: determine the
capacitance of a single
C2
capacitor that will have the
same effect as the C1
combination shown. Use C3
C1 = C2 = C3 = C.

I don’t see a series combination of capacitors, but I do

see a parallel combination.
C23 = C2 + C3 = C + C = 2C
Now I see a series combination.
C23 = 2C C 1= C
1 1 1
= +
Ceq C1 C23

1 1 1 2 1 3
= + = + =
Ceq C 2C 2C 2C 2C

2
Ceq = C
3
Example: for the capacitor circuit shown, C1 = 3F, C2 =
6F, C3 = 2F, and C4 =4F. (a) Find the equivalent
capacitance. (b) if V=12 V, find the potential
difference across C4.

C1 C2 I’ll work this at the

C4 blackboard.
Homework Hint: each capacitor has
associated with it a Q, C, and V. If you don’t
know what to do next, near each capacitor,
write down Q= , C= , and V= . Next to the =
C3 sign record the known value or a “?” if you
don’t know the value. As soon as you know
any two of Q, C, and V, you can determine
the third. This technique often provides
visual clues about what to do next.
V