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Capacitors

Capacitors store electric charge and are used in devices like radios, power supplies, and ignition systems. A capacitor consists of two conductors called plates that hold equal but opposite charges. Capacitance is defined as the ratio of charge on a plate to the potential difference between the plates. Capacitance increases when a dielectric material is placed between the plates. In a parallel plate capacitor, capacitance is directly proportional to the area of the plates and the dielectric constant, and inversely proportional to the distance between plates. Capacitors can be connected in parallel, where the total capacitance is the sum of individual capacitances, or in series, where the total capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitance

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40 views

Capacitors

Capacitors store electric charge and are used in devices like radios, power supplies, and ignition systems. A capacitor consists of two conductors called plates that hold equal but opposite charges. Capacitance is defined as the ratio of charge on a plate to the potential difference between the plates. Capacitance increases when a dielectric material is placed between the plates. In a parallel plate capacitor, capacitance is directly proportional to the area of the plates and the dielectric constant, and inversely proportional to the distance between plates. Capacitors can be connected in parallel, where the total capacitance is the sum of individual capacitances, or in series, where the total capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitance

Uploaded by

Walaa Majeed
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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210

Capacitors
Capacitors are devices that store electric charge.
Examples of where capacitors are used include:
 radio receivers
 filters in power supplies
 to eliminate sparking in automobile ignition systems
 energy-storing devices in electronic flashes
Makeup of a Capacitor
A capacitor consists of two conductors.
 These conductors are called plates.
 When the conductor is charged, the plates carry
charges of equal magnitude and opposite directions.
A potential difference exists between the plates due to the
charge.
211

Definition of Capacitance
The capacitance, C, of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of
the magnitude of the charge on either conductor to the
potential difference between the conductors. Q
C
The capacitance of a given capacitor is constant. DV
The SI unit of capacitance is the farad (F).
The farad is a large unit, typically you will see microfarads (mF)
and picofarads (pF).
Q Q Q εo A
For a parallel capacitor: C   
DV Ed Qd / εo A d
 A is the area of each plate, the area of each plate is equal
 Q is the charge on each plate, equal with opposite signs
A dielectric is a nonconducting material that, when placed
between the plates of a capacitor, increases the capacitance
and Increase the maximum operating voltage. Dielectrics
include rubber, glass, and waxed paper.
For a parallel-plate capacitor, C = κ (εoA) / d
κ is the dielectric constant of the material.
Capacitance – Parallel Plates
Each plate is connected to a terminal of the battery (source of potential difference).
The charge density on the plates is σ = Q /A.
 A is the area of each plate, the area of each plate is equal
 Q is the charge on each plate, equal with opposite signs
The electric field is uniform between the plates and zero elsewhere.
Q Q Q εA
C    o
DV Ed Qd / εo A d
Example

A parallel-plate capacitor with air between the plates has an area A = 2.00 x 10-4 m2
and a plate separation d = 1.00 mm. Find its capacitance.
Solution
Capacitors in Parallel
The potential difference across the
capacitors is the same.
 And each is equal to the voltage of the
battery DV1 = DV2 = DV
 DV is the battery terminal voltage
The total charge is equal to the sum of the
charges on the capacitors. Qtot = Q1 + Q2

The capacitors can be replaced with one


capacitor with a capacitance of Ceq.
 The equivalent capacitor must have
exactly the same external effect on the
circuit as the original capacitors.

 For more capacitors


Ceq = C1 + C2 + C3 + …
Capacitors in Series
An equivalent capacitor can be found
that performs the same function as the
series combination.
The charges are all the same.
Q1 = Q2 = Q
The potential differences add up to the
battery voltage.
ΔVtot = DV1 + DV2 + …

The equivalent capacitance is


1 1 1 1
   
C eq C 1 C 2 C 3
The equivalent capacitance of a series
combination is always less than any
individual capacitor in the combination.

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