UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA CAWANGAN

PERLIS
KAMPUS ARAU

PHY 443
LABORATORY REPORT
TITLE : CAPACITORS

EXP. NO. : 1

NAMES : AMMAR BIN ABDUL WAHID (2020844068)

: MUHAMMAD DANIAL BIN MOHD ASRI (2020621208)
: MUHAMMAD FIRDAUS BIN ABDUL HADI (2020461968)
: NUR AZMI BIN NORKHIRIRI (2020869678)

GROUP : RAS2031B

DATE : 8th JANUARY 2021

Objectives:
1. To determine the dielectric constant permittivity of air, εo using a parallel plate capacitor.
2. To determine the equivalent capacitor for a combination of capacitor using direct
measurement and from calculation.

Apparatus:
1. A parallel-plate capacitor
2. Digital multimeter (DMM)
3. Connecting wires
4. Two Capacitors (C1 and C2)
5. Circuit board
6. Graph paper

Procedures

PART I: To determine the dielectric constant permittivity of air, εo using a parallel plate
capacitor.
1. The parallel plate capacitor is connected to a digital multimeter (DMM).
2. DMM is set to measure the capacitance.
3. The plate separation of the capacitor is set at 1.0 mm and the DMM is turned on. The
capacitance on the DMM is read and the value is recorded.
4. Step 3 is repeated for every separation.
5. A graph of Capacitance Vs. Distance (separation between plates) is plotted. The graph is
observed and the reason for the non-linear graph that obtained is discussed.
6. From the expression , a suitable graph is plotted to find εo, where A is the area of the
capacitor plate (one plate only) and d is plate separation.
7. The findings are discussed. The calculated value of εo obtained from the graph is compared
with the actual value.

PART II: Finding equivalent capacitance

1. The DMM is used to measure the value of individual capacitances of C1 and C2
2. C1 and C2 is connected in series as shown in Figure 4. The DMM is used to measure the
equivalent capacitance of the combination. The value is recorded.

3. Then, C1 and C2 is connected in parallel as shown in Figure 3. The DMM is used to measure
the equivalent capacitance of the combination. The value is recorded.
 4. The findings are discussed.
5. The expected values of the equivalent capacitance for both combinations are calculated using
the formula for series and parallel connection.
6. The percentage error between the measured is measured and calculated values by treating the
calculated value as the true value. What factor contributes to the difference (if any) of the
measured and calculated values of the equivalent capacitance for the combination.

Results (Part 1)

Separation 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
distance,d(mm)
d(m) 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.008
1/d(m-1) 500.00 333.33 250.00 200.00 166.67 142.68 125.00
Capacitance,C(nF) 0.210 0.138 0.120 0.105 0.0906 0.0910 0.086
Permittivity 0.017 0.168 0.0195 0.0213 0.221 0.0259 0.0280
(C2/N.m2)

Diameter= 0.177 m
Area of plate capacitor=3.142*(0.177/2)^2=0.0246 m2
Average permittivity= 0.1507/7
= 0.0215 C2/N.m2
Standard value permittivity= 8.85*10-12 C2/N.m2
Discussion

For part 1, the experiment was conducted to determine the dielectric constant
permittivity of air, εo using a parallel plate capacitor. There are two identical conducting plates
in the parallel plate capacitor , each with a surface area separated by a range with no material
between the plates. It stores a charge Q when a voltage V is applied to the capacitor, it can
seemed that capacitance depends on A and d by applying the characteristics of the Coulomb force. We
understand that charges repel and the force between charges decreases with distance. It seems fair,
therefore, that the larger the plates, the more charges they can store, since the charges can spread more.

Firstly, the distance between the two plates was measured and it was converted into
meter(m). The separation distance was increased by 0.001 m which were 0.002 m,0.003
m,0.004 m,0.005 m,0.006 m,0.007 m and 0.008 m. When the Capacitance vs Distance graph
was plotted, it showed a non linear graph where when the distance between two plates increased,
the value of capacitance decreased. This result coincided with the formula for capacitance
which is parallel plate capacitor in equation form is given by C=EoA/d. From this formula, it
could be understand that when the value of area or permittivity increase, the capacitance will
increase, else, if the value of separation distance increase, the value of capacitance decreases.
That is how the graph appeared as non linear graph.

Secondly a graph capacitance vs inverse separation was plotted to find the experimented
value of permittivity. The constant permittivity of free space is 8.85*10-12. The units of F/m are
equivalent to C2 • / N m2 . The small numerical value of is related to the large size of the
farad. A parallel plate capacitor must have a large area to have a capacitance approaching a
farad. From the graph, it pproduced linear graph and the value of permittivity obtained is
0.0003 F/m which is the value of the slope. But when a calculation for average value of
permittivity was made, the value obtained was 0.0215 F/m. Both values were too far from the
actual value which is 8.85*10-9 F. These results could be effected by some source errors when
the experiment was conducted. For example, the two plates of capacitor are not perfectly
parallel. This situation can interfere the electrical charge and the electric field between two
plates and makes the value of capacitance become not accurate. Next, the internal capacitance
in the Digital Multimeter also effected the reading of capacitance between two plates.
Result and Calculation Part 2

Capacitance in series(µF) Capacitance in parallel

0.508 2.041

Expected value for series capacitor

1 1 1
= +
�� �1 �2

1 1 1
= +
�� 1.036 1.036

Cs= 0.518 µF

Expected value for parallel capacitor

Cp=C1+C2
Cp=(1.036 + 1.036) µF
=2.076 µF

Percentage error for series capacitor

%Error =(Accepted value-Experimental value)/Experimental value

0.518−0.508
0.518
x100%=1.93%

Percentage error for parallel capacitor

2.076 − 2.041
�100% = 1.69%
2.076
Discussion (Part 2)
In this experiment, the objective is to determine the equivalent capacitor for a
combination of capacitor using direct measurement and from calculation. Firstly, the capacitors
are connected in series. When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is lower
than each individual capacitance of any of the series capacitors. The overall effect is that of a
single (equivalent) capacitor having the sum total of the plate spacings of the individual
capacitors if two or more capacitor are connected in series. Based on the formula for series
1 1 1
capacitor; �� = �1 + �2 , the expected result is 0.518 µF but the experimental result is 0.508 µF,

thus the percentage error is 1.93%.

For parallel capacitance, the total capacitance is easier to find than in the series case. To
find the equivalent total capacitance Cp, and based on the formula for parallel
capacitor ,Cp=C1+C2 ,it must be known that the voltage across each capacitor is V, the same as
that of the source, since they are connected directly to it through a conductor. Conductors are
equipotentials, and so the voltage across the capacitors is the same as that across the voltage
source.Thus the capacitors have the same charges on them as they would have if connected
individually to the voltage source. Referred to the result obtained, the experimental value is
2.041 µF while theoretical value is 2.076 µF, thus percentage error is 1.69%.
For both combination, the percentage of error is low and this is a satisfied
achievement.The errors may come from loading errors,high-voltage self-heating errors,low-
level measurement errors and so on. All these factor really affected the reading for capacitance
and they make the reading become less precise.
 Conclusion

As a conclusion, it can be proved that the value of dielectric constant permittivity of air,
εo using a parallel plate capacitor can be obtained by adjusting the separation distance between
plate and by plotting the Capacitor vs Inverse separation distance. Last but not least, there are
two types of combination of capacitor which are series and parallel. To increase the capacitance
value of a capacitor, two or more capacitors must be connected in parallel, or else the
capacitance will be low.Hence the hypothesis accepted.
References:
1) School of Physics and Materials Studies, Laboratory Manual PHY431/441/443, Faculty of
Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA. 2010. [Print].
2) Tim Herrera. (2020, Sep 17). JIC Physics Experiment: Parallel-Plate Capacitor [Video].
Youtube.
3) Physics Demo Class. (2019, Sep 26). Capacitors in Series and Parallel /Total Capacitance
Measurement-Lab Demo/[Video]. YouTube.