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CH 11 Capacitor and Capacitance

This document discusses the key concepts of capacitors and capacitance from a physics textbook. It defines a capacitor as a device that stores electric charges and energy. A capacitor consists of two parallel metal plates separated by a small distance, with an insulator such as air between the plates. Charges of equal magnitude but opposite polarity are induced on each plate when a voltage is applied. The capacitance of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the amount of charge stored on its plates to the potential difference between the plates. Capacitance depends on the area and distance between plates as well as the dielectric material. The standard unit of capacitance is the farad.

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76 views

CH 11 Capacitor and Capacitance

This document discusses the key concepts of capacitors and capacitance from a physics textbook. It defines a capacitor as a device that stores electric charges and energy. A capacitor consists of two parallel metal plates separated by a small distance, with an insulator such as air between the plates. Charges of equal magnitude but opposite polarity are induced on each plate when a voltage is applied. The capacitance of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the amount of charge stored on its plates to the potential difference between the plates. Capacitance depends on the area and distance between plates as well as the dielectric material. The standard unit of capacitance is the farad.

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Tariq
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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 Notes 2nd Year 2019-20

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook


By Professor Ejaz
Unit 11: Electrostatics

11.10 Capacitor:
 Definition:
A device which is used for storing electric charges and electric energy is called capacitor

 Construction:
It consists of two parallel metal plates,
separated by small distance. The medium
between the two plates is air or a sheet of
some insulator. This medium is known as
dielectric 

 Working:
 When a charge is transferred
to one of the plate say (A) due
to electrostatic induction it
would induce charge Q on the
inner surface of the other
plate B.
 The capacitor is commonly
charged by connecting its
plates for a while to the
opposite terminals of a battery.
 In this way electrons B transferred A are some through the battery positive plate to
the negative plate.
 Charge +Q and -Q appear on the plates.
 Mutual attraction between the charges keeps them bound on the inner surface of
two plates and thus the charge remains stored in the capacitor even after removal of
the battery
 Capacitance of a Capacitor:

 Physical Definition:
The capability of a capacitor to store charges is called it capacitance

 Calculations
When a charge Q is transferred on one of the plates of a capacitor, the potential difference
V between the plates also increases. In other words, the charge Q on the plate of a capacitor is
directly proportional to the electric potential difference V between them i.e
Q=CV … … (11.29)
Q
C=
V
Where C is a constant called the capacitance of capacitor

 Factors of Capacitance:
The value of C depends on
 the area of the plates
 the distance between the plates
 the medium (dielectric) between them
 Shape & orientation of the Plates.

 Mathematical Definition of Capacitance:


The capacitance is thus defined as the ratio of magnitude of charge on either plate to
the potential difference produced between the plates

 Special Case:
Special Substituting V with 1 volt in Eq. (11.29) it reduce to Q = C. This implies that if the
potential difference between the plates of capacitor is 1 yolt then the amount of charge stored
on its plates is egual to its capacity

 SI unit:
The SI unit of capacitance is called farad.
 Definition of Farad:
farad (F) is defined as
"The capacity of that capacitor which stores a charge of 1 coulomb having the
potential difference of 1 volt between the plates".
 Submultiples of farad
 1 µF(micro farad)= 10-6 F &
 4 pF(Pico Farad) = 10-12 F

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