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Capacitors 1

- A capacitor consists of two parallel plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. Charges are stored between the plates when a voltage is applied. - The amount of charge stored depends on the capacitance and voltage based on the equation Q=CV. The energy stored is calculated as E=1/2CV^2. Combining capacitors in parallel increases the total capacitance.

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42 views

Capacitors 1

- A capacitor consists of two parallel plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. Charges are stored between the plates when a voltage is applied. - The amount of charge stored depends on the capacitance and voltage based on the equation Q=CV. The energy stored is calculated as E=1/2CV^2. Combining capacitors in parallel increases the total capacitance.

Uploaded by

p
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Capacitors

— A basic capacitor has two parallel plates


separated by an insulating material
— A capacitor stores an electrical charge between
the two plates
Capacitors
— Basic capacitor construction
Dielectric The dielectric
Plate 2 material material is an
insulator therefore
no current flows
through the
capacitor

Plate 1
Capacitors
Storing a charge between
the plates
— Electrons on the left +
_
plate are attracted + _
toward the positive
terminal of the voltage
source
— This leaves an excess of
positively charged holes
— The electrons are
pushed toward the right + -
plate
— Excess electrons leave a
negative charge
Action of dielectric
— When charges accumulate
on one of the plates , it
induces opposite charges
at the near end. Thus the
polarization of charges
occur as shown
— Induces opposite charges
on the other plate.
— The force attraction
between opposite charges
stores charges on the
capacitor
Capacitors
Types of capacitors
— The dielectric material
determines the type of
capacitor
— Common types of
capacitors are:
— Mica
— Ceramic
— Plastic film
— The charge stored in a capacitor depends on the potential
difference between the plates of capacitor.
— Therefore
— Qα V
— Q = CV
— Where Q is the charge in coulombs V is the p.d in volts, C is
the capacitance in in Farads
— As the value is small it is represented as μF or pf.
Therefore a graph of Q in C against V is plotted, the graph
will be a straight line as follows
Q (C)

V (V)

The gradient of the graph is the capacitance


Energy stored in capacitor
— Consider a capacitor of capacitance C F. Suppose that it is
partially charge to a charge Q and the potential difference
between them is V.
— Suppose now that the charge is increased to (Q+δQ)
— This involves movement of a charge δQ from one plate to
the other
— If δQ is small V can be considered unchanged
— Therefore the small work done

— δW = V δQ Q
— But V = Q C
— δW = δQ
C

— Therefore the total work done to charge a


capacitor from 0 C to Q C can be
calculated as
— Q

— W=
1
C
∫ QΔq
— 0
— W = Q2
— 2C
W = Q2
2C
But work done is same as Energy stored,
Therefore the energy stored in a capacitor can be calculated
as
E = 1CV2 E = QV
1
2 2
— The energy stored can be also be considered from the area
under Q-V graph as shown
— Q (C)

— V (V)
— Consider a small area it is calculated ΔqΔv
— But ΔqΔv is the work done
— Work done is same as energy
— Thus energy stored = ΔqΔv
— There fore considering the total area,
— Area of the triangle is = ½ base× height
— = ½ QV
— = ½ CV2
— Combinations capacitors.
— ( From Board)
— Charging an uncharged capacitor from a charged capacitor

— C1 F

— C2 F
— Consider a capacitor of capacitance C1 is charged fully by
applying a p.d.
— When this capacitor is used to charge an uncharged
capacitor of capacitance C2
— The following points are to be considered
— 1 .There is no change in th total amount of charge
— 2. Two capacitor acquires the same potential
— 3. When connected the capacitors are connected in
parallel therefore the final capacitance C = C1 + C2
— If the total energy stored in capacitor initially is compared
final energy stored after the charging is considered
— The final energy will be less than initial energy.
— This is because the energy is dissipated in the form of heat
in the connecting wires.
questions
— A 5μF capacitors is charged with a p.d of 40 V, and is then
connected across a 20μF capacitor.
— Calculate the
— (a) final p.d across each
— (b) final charge on each
— (c) the initial and final energies
— Total initial charge Q = CV
— = 5 × 10-6 ×40
— = 200 × 10 -6 C
— Total capacitance = C1 + C2
— = 20 μF + 5 μ F
— = 25 μF
— Q = CV
— 200 × 10 -6 C = 25 μF × V
— V=8V

—
— Q = CV
— = 5 × 1 0-6 × 8
— =40× 1 0-6 C

— Q = CV
— = 20× 1 0-6 × 8
— =1 60× 1 0-6 C
— Calculation of energy

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