Chapter 6: Capacitors and Inductors

ECE 280: Electric Circuit Analysis

 Capacitors and Inductors Chapter 6

6.1 Capacitors
6.2 Series and Parallel Capacitors
6.3 Inductors
6.4 Series and Parallel Inductors

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 6.1 Capacitors (1)
• A capacitor is a passive element designed to store energy in
its electric field.

• A capacitor consists of two conducting plates separated by an

insulator (or dielectric).
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 6.1 Capacitors (2)
• Capacitance C is the ratio of the charge q on one plate of a
capacitor to the voltage difference v between the two plates,
measured in farads (F).

 A
q C v and C
d
1
  r  0 0 8.854 10  12
 9 C2
10 F/m [ Nm 2 ]
36
• Where  is the permittivity of the dielectric material between the
plates, A is the surface area of each plate, d is the distance between
the plates.
• r is the relative permittivity
• 0 is the relative permittivity of free space or air
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• Unit: F, pF (10–12), nF (10–9), and F (10 )–6
 6.1 Capacitors (3)
• For i flowing into the +ve terminal of C (Passive Sign
Convention) :
– Charging => i is +ve
– Discharging => i is –ve

• The current-voltage relationship of capacitor according to

above convention is

dv 1 t
i C
dt and
v
C i d t  v(t )
t0
0

• Where v(t0) is the initial condition, i.e. the initial capacitor voltage at time t0
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 6.1 Capacitors (4)
The Capacitor Consumed Power, p is given by:

p i v
• The energy, w, stored in the
capacitor is
𝑡 𝑡 𝑡
𝑑𝑣(𝑡) 1
𝑤=∫ 𝑝(𝑡)𝑑𝑡=∫ 𝑖(𝑡)𝑣 (𝑡)𝑑𝑡=¿∫ 𝐶
2 2
𝑣 ( 𝑡 ) 𝑑𝑡 = 𝐶[𝑣 ( 𝑡 ) − 𝑣 ( 0 ) ]¿
0 0 0 𝑑𝑡 2
– Under DC excitation the capacitor acts as an open circuit
since the derivative of a constant voltage is Zero.
– The capacitor voltage cannot change abruptly. Or in other
words: The capacitor voltage cannot change in Zero time.
This is expressed as follows:

Where t- is the time instant just before t and t+ is the time instant just after t 6
 Example 1
6.1 Capacitors (5)
 The current through a 100-F capacitor is
i(t) = 50 sin(120 t) mA.
 Calculate the voltage across it at t =1 ms and t = 5 ms. Take v(0) =0.
 In the following the result of voltage is in mV since the current is in mA.
t t t
1 1 50 50  1
 t
v(t )  i (t )dt  (50sin(120 t )) dt 
C t 
sin(120 t ) dt    cos(120  t )
C t 0 C t 0 0
C  120
 0
50 50 50 50 5
 cos(120 t )  cos(0)  cos(120 t )   1  cos(120 t ) 
120 C 120 C 120 C 120 C 12 C

5 5 104 5 104 0.07

v(1ms)  1  cos(120 0.001)   1  cos(0.12 )   93.14 mV
12 100 10 6 12 12

5 5 104 5 104 1.31

v(5 ms)  1  cos(120 0.005)   1  cos(0.6 )   1736.13 mV 1.7361 V
12 100 10 6 12 12

Answer:
v(1ms) = 93.14mV
v(5ms) = 1.7361V 7
 6.1 Capacitors (6)
Example 2
 An initially uncharged 1-mF capacitor has the current shown
below across it.
 Calculate the voltage across it at t = 2 ms and t = 5 ms.

50t , 0 t 2 ms
i (t ) 
100 mA, t 2 ms

a ) t  2 ms=0.002 s
t t 0.002 s
1 1 50 50 2 0.002 s
v(t 2 ms)  i (t )dt  (50t )dt   tdt  t
C t 0 C t 0 C t 0
2C 0


50
(0.002) 2 25 103 4 10  6 V= 105 10  6 V = 0.1V=100 mV
Answer:
3
2 10
b) t  5 ms=0.005s v(2ms) = 100 mV
0.002 s 0.005 s

v(t 5 ms) 
50
 tdt 
1
 0.1dt 0.1V 
0.1 0.005
t v(5ms) = 400 mV
C t 0
C t 0.002s
C 0.002
0.1
0.1 V  ((0.005)  (0.002)) 0.1 V  100 0.003 V=0.1V  0.3V
10 3 8
=0.4 V=400 mV
 6.2 Series and Parallel
Capacitors (1)
• The equivalent capacitance of N parallel-connected capacitors is
the sum of the individual capacitances.
Note that the capacitors have the same
voltage across them. Applying KCL, total
current i is:

C eq C1  C 2  ...  C N
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6.2 Series and Parallel Capacitors (2)
• The equivalent capacitance of N series-connected capacitors is the reciprocal
of the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances.
Applying KVL to the loop

Two capacitors in series

1 1 1 1
1 1
 
1 CC
 Ceq  1 2    ... 
Ceq C1 C2 C1  C2 C eq C1 C 2 CN 10
 6.2 Series and Parallel
Capacitors (3)
Example 3
Find the equivalent capacitance seen at the terminals of the
circuit in the circuit shown below:

Answer:
Ceq = 40F

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 6.2 Series and Parallel Capacitors (4)
Example 4
Find the voltage across each of the capacitors in the circuit shown below:

From the Figure, v1 = v2 = 90/2 = 45 V

Before we solve this, we need to assume q1 C1 v1 40 10 6 45 1800 10  6 1.8 mC
that the initial charge on each capacitor is q2 C2 v2 20 10 6 45 900 10  6 0.9 mC
equal to zero.
q3 q4 0.9 mC
since same current flows through them.

q3 0.9 10 3
To simplify the analysis, we could imagine v3   6
15 V
C3 60 10
that charge acts like current since i(t) =
dq(t)/dt. q4 0.9 10 3
v4   6
30 V
Half of the charge q1 flows through C2 and C4 30 10
the rest half flows through C3 and C4. 12
 6.3 Inductors (1)
• An inductor is a passive element designed to store energy in
its magnetic field.
• They are used in power supplies, transformers, radios, TVs,
radars, and electric motors

• An inductor consists of a coil of conducting wire.

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 6.3 Inductors (2)
• Inductance is the property whereby an inductor exhibits
opposition to the change of current flowing through it,
measured in henrys (H).
di N 2
A
v L and L
dt l
 is the permeability of the core
   r 0 where r  relative permeability with respect to free space

0 4 10 7 H/m; permeability of free space

• The unit of inductance is Henry (H), mH (10–3) and H (10–6).
• The current-voltage relationship of an inductor:
1 t
i
L v(t ) d t  i(t )
t0
0
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 6.3 inductors (3)
The Inductor Consumed Power, p is given by:

p i v
• The energy, w, stored in the inductor is:
𝑡 𝑡 𝑡
𝑑𝑖(𝑡) 1
𝑤=∫ 𝑝 (𝑡)𝑑𝑡=∫ 𝑖(𝑡)𝑣 (𝑡)𝑑𝑡=¿∫ 𝑖 (𝑡 ) 𝐿
2 2
𝑑𝑡= 𝐿[𝑖 ( 𝑡 ) −𝑖 ( 0 ) ]¿
0 0 0 𝑑𝑡 2

– Under DC excitation the inductor acts as a short circuit

since the derivative of a constant current is Zero.
– The inductor current cannot change abruptly. Or in other
words: The inductor current cannot change in Zero time.
This is expressed as follows:

Where t- is the time instant just before t and t+ is the time instant just after t 15
 6.3 Inductors (4)
Example 5
The terminal voltage of a 2-H inductor is
v = 10(1-t) V
Find the current flowing through it at t = 4 s and
the energy stored in it within 0 < t < 4 s.
• Assume i(0) = 2 A.
Solution
1 t
1
i (t ) 
L  v(t ) d t  i(t )
t0 0 W  L(i 2 (t 4)  i 2 (t 0))
2
1 4 1
i (t 4)   v(t ) d t  i (0)  2(( 18) 2  (2) 2 ) 320 J
L 0 2
1 4 4
i (t 4)  10(1  t ) d t  i (0) 5  (1  t ) d t  2
2 0 0 Answer:
4
4 4 t2 4 i(4s) = -18 A
5  dt  5td t  2 5 t 5 2
0
0
t 0 2 t 0
w(4s) = 320J 16
5(4  0)  2.5(16  0)  2 20  40  2  18 A
 6.3 Inductors (5)
Example 6
• Consider the circuit in Fig. a below. Under dc conditions, find: (a) i, vc
and iL and (b) the energy stored in the capacitor and inductor.

Fig. (a)

(a) Under dc conditions, we replace (b) The energy in the capacitor is

the capacitor with an open circuit and
the inductor with a short circuit, as in
Fig. (b). It is evident from Fig. (b) that

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 6.3 Inductors (6)
Practice Problem

Determine vc, iL, and the energy stored in the capacitor and
inductor in the circuit of circuit shown below under dc
conditions.

Answer:
iL = 3A
vC = 3V
wL = 1.125J
wC = 9J

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 6.4 Series and Parallel
Inductors (1)
• The equivalent inductance of series-connected inductors is
the sum of the individual inductances.

Leq L1  L2  ...  LN

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 6.4 Series and Parallel
Inductors (2)
• The equivalent capacitance of parallel inductors is the reciprocal of
the sum of the reciprocals of the individual inductances.

1 1 1 1
   ... 
Leq L1 L2 LN 20
 6.4 Series and Parallel
Inductors (3)
Example 7
Calculate the equivalent inductance for the inductive circuit shown
below: Solution:
• The 10-H, 12-H, and 20-H inductors
are in series; thus, combining them
gives a 42-H inductance.
• This 42-H inductor is in parallel with
the 7-H inductor so that they are
combined, to give:
• (742)/(7+42)= 6 H

• This 6-H inductor is in series with

the 4-H and 8-H inductors. Hence,

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 6.4 Series and Parallel
Inductors (4)
Practice Problem
Calculate the equivalent inductance for the inductive ladder network
in the circuit shown below:

Answer:
Leq = 25mH

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Important characteristics of the basic elements
• Current and voltage relationship for R, L, C

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Important characteristics of the basic elements

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