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Maximum Charge on a
Objectives: Conductor
• Define capacitance in terms of charge and
voltage, and calculate the capacitance for a
Capacitance parallel plate capacitor given separation and
Battery Conductor
area of the plates. - - - - -
Earth --
e- e- - - -
• Define dielectric constant and apply to ----
calculations of voltage, electric field
intensity, and capacitance.
A battery establishes a difference of
• Find the potential energy stored in capacitors. potential that can pump electrons e-
from a ground (earth) to a conductor

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Maximum Charge on a
Capacitance in Farads
Conductor Capacitance
A battery establishes a difference of potential that One farad (F) is the capacitance C of a conductor that
can pump electrons e- from a ground (earth) to a The capacitance C of a conductor is defined as holds one coulomb of charge for each volt of potential.
conductor the ratio of the charge Q on the conductor to
Conductor the potential V produced. C=
Q
; farad (F) =
coulomb (C)
Battery
- - - - - V volt (V)
Earth -- Battery Conductor
e- e- - - -
---- - - - - - Example: When 40 µC of charge are placed on a con-
Earth -- ductor, the potential is 8 V. What is the capacitance?
e- e- - - Q, V - -
---
There is a limit to the amount of charge that a
conductor can hold without leaking to the air. Q C = 5 µF
Capacitance: C = ; Units : Coulombs per volt
There is a certain capacity for holding charge. V

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Capacitance of Spherical Conductor Capacitors and Capacitance Capacitors and Capacitance

• The SI unit of capacitance is called one farad (1

At surface of sphere: Capacitance, C F).
kQ kQ r
E= ; V= • 1 F = 1 farad = 1 C/V = 1 coulomb/volt
r2 r +Q
1 • Capacitance is a measure of the ability of a
Recall: k= E and V at surface. capacitor to store energy.
4pe 0
kQ Q Q • The simplest form of capacitor is a parallel-plate
And: V = = Capacitance: C = capacitor (Fig. 24.2).
r 4pe 0 r V Fig. 24.2 (a) A charged parallel-plate capacitor.
Q Q (b) When the separation of the plates is small
C= = C = 4pe 0 r compared to their
 size, the fringing of the
V Q 4pe 0 r electric field E at the edges is slight.

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Capacitors and Capacitance Capacitors and Capacitance Example 1: What is the capacitance of
s Q a metal sphere of radius 8 cm?
• The field magnitude is E = = • From Eq.(24.2), 1F = 1C 2 / N × m = 1C 2 / J .
Î0 Î0 A Î0 = 8.85 ´ 10-12 F / m
• The potential difference between the plates is
-12
• Î0 = 8.85 ´ 10 F / m
Capacitance, C C = 4pe 0 r
1 Qd r
Vab = Ed = . • In many applications the most convenient units of +Q
Î0 A capacitance are the microfarad (1 µF = 10-6 F) and C = 8.90 x 10-12 F
• Therefore the capacitance C of a parallel-plate the picofarad (1 pF = 10-12F). r = 0.08 m
capacitor in vacuum is

Note: The capacitance depends only on physical para-

meters (the radius r) and is not determined by either
charge or potential. This is true for all capacitors.
• In a vacuum, the capacitance C is a constant
independent of Q and Vab .

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Example 1 (Cont.): What charge Q is Example 2: What is the maximum charge

needed to give a potential of 400 V? Dielectric Strength that can be placed on a spherical surface
Capacitance, C The dielectric strength of a material is that one meter in diameter?
electric intensity Em for which the material
r Q Maximum Q
+Q
C = 8.90 x 10-12 F C= becomes a conductor. (Charge leakage.)
V r
Air
Em varies considerably with Q
r = 0.08 m r
physical and environmental Em = 3 x 106 N/C
Q
conditions such as pressure,
Total Charge on Conductor: Q = 3.56 nC Dielectric
humidity, and surfaces. Maximum charge in air: Qm = 83.3 µC
Note: The farad (F) and the coulomb (C) are For air: Em = 3 x 10 N/C for spherical surfaces
6
extremely large units for static electricity. The SI and as low as 0.8 x 106 N/C for sharp points. This illustrates the large size of the coulomb as a
prefixes micro µ, nano n, and pico p are often used. unit of charge in electrostatic applications.

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Parallel Plate Capacitance Example 3. The plates of a parallel

Capacitance and Shapes +Q Area A For these two
plate capacitor have an area of 0.4 m2
and are 3 mm apart in air. What is the
The charge density on a surface is significantly parallel plates: capacitance?
affected by the curvature. The density of charge -Q d Q V
is greatest where the curvature is greatest. C= and E =
V d Q A
C= = e0 A
+ + + ++ + + + + ++ V d
++ kQm + You will recall from Gauss’ law that E is also: 0.4 m2
+ + + + + ++ Em = + + + + + + ++
r2 s
E= =
Q Q is charge on either C = 1.18 nF
e0 e0 A plate. A is area of plate.
Leakage (called corona discharge) often occurs d 3 mm
at sharp points where curvature r is greatest. V Q Q A
E= = And C= = e0
d e0 A V d

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Applications of Capacitors Dielectric Materials

A microphone converts sound waves into an Most capacitors have a dielectric material between Advantages of Dielectrics
electrical signal (varying voltage) by changing d. their plates to provide greater dielectric strength and
less probability for electrical discharge.
Changing d Changing • Smaller plate separation without contact.
A ++
C = e0 ++ Area Eo reduced E E < Eo
d • Increases capacitance of a capacitor.
-- +++ + - +-+-+ - + -
-
-- A + - + - +- + - • Higher voltages can be used without
Q -- + Air - +-+-+ - +- + -
V= Variable + - +-+-+- + - breakdown.
d C + - + - +- + -
Microphone Capacitor + - + - + -
Co • Often it allows for greater mechanical strength.
Dielectric C > Co
The tuner in a radio is a variable capacitor. The changing The separation of dielectric charge allows more charge
area A alters capacitance until desired signal is obtained. to be placed on the plates—greater capacitance C > Co.

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Insertion of Dielectric Dielectric Constant, K The Permittivity of a Medium

Field decreases. The dielectric constant K for a material is the
Air
+Q The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor
E < Eo ratio of the capacitance C with this material as
Dielectric with a dielectric can be found from:
Co Vo Eo eo compared with the capacitance Co in a vacuum.
+ +
++ ++
Voltage decreases.
C C = KC0 or C = K e 0
A
or C = e
A
-Q V < Vo K= Dielectric constant:
C0 K = 1 for Air d d
Insertion of
a dielectric +Q Capacitance increases. The constant e is the permittivity of the medium
K can also be given in terms of voltage V,
C > Co electric field intensity E, or permittivity e: which relates to the density of field lines.
C V Ee
+ +
Same Q
Q = Qo
-Q Permittivity increases.
K=
V0 E0 e
= =
e = Ke 0 ; e 0 = 8.85 x 10-12 C2
Nm 2
e > eo
V E e0

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A A
C = KC0 or C = K e 0 or C = e
d d Example 4 (Cont.): Find the field E between Example 5: A capacitor has a capacitance of 6µF
Example 4: Find the capacitance C and the charge Q the plates. Recall Q = 2.22 µC; V = 200 V. with air as the dielectric. A battery charges the
if connected to 200-V battery. Assume the dielectric capacitor to 400 V and is then disconnected. What
constant is K = 5.0. s Q is the new voltage if a sheet of mica (K = 5) is
Gauss ' law : E = = e = Ke0
inserted? What is new capacitance C ?
eo = 44.25 x 10-12 C/Nm2 e eA
e = Ke0 A
C = 11.1 nF e = 44.25 x 10-12 C/Nm2 C V0 V0 Air dielectric
A K= = ; V=
0.5 m2 C0 V K
0.5 m2 E = 100293.65 N/C Vo = 400 V
Q if connected to V = 200 V? 200 V
V = 80.0 V
Q = 2.22 µC d 2 mm Mica dielectric
C = Kco
d 2 mm
Mica, K = 5
Since V = 200 V, the same result is found
C = 30 µF
if E = V/d is used to find the field.

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Example 5 (Cont.): If the 400-V battery is

Example 6: In Ex-4, we found capacitance to
reconnected after insertion of the mica, what Energy of Charged Capacitor be 11.1 nF, the voltage 200 V, and the
additional charge will be added to the plates
due to the increased C? charge 2.22 µC. Find the potential energy U.
The potential energy U of a charged
Air Co = 6 µF capacitor is equal to the work (qV) Capacitor of
Q0 = C0V0 U = 222 µJ
required to charge the capacitor. Example 5.
Q0 = 2400 µC Vo = 400 V
If we consider the average potential Verify your answer from the C = 11.1 nF
difference from 0 to Vf to be V/2: other formulas for P.E.
Q = CV
Mica C = 30 µF Q2 200 V
Q = 12,000 µC Work = Q(V/2) = ½QV U = 1 2 QV ; U=
Mica, K = 5 2C
U=?
DQ = 9600 µC Q2
U= 1
2 QV ; U = 1 2 CV ; U =
2

2C Q = 2.22 µC
DQ = 9.60 mC

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Problem for Capacitance

Energy Density for Capacitor Summary of Formulas 1.

Energy density u is the energy per unit volume Q coulomb (C)

(J/m3). For a capacitor of area A and separation C= ; farad (F) =
V volt (V)
d, the energy density u is found as follows:
Q A 2. A parallel-plate capacitor has a
Energy Density U U C= = Ke0 C = 4pe 0 r
A d u= = V d capacitance of 1.0 F. If the plates are 1.0
u for an E-field: Vol. Ad mm apart, what is the area of the plates?
C V0 E0 e
e0 A K= = =
C0 V
=
E e0
u = 12 e 0 E 2 3. The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor in vacuum
Recall C = and V = Ed : are 5.00 mm apart and 2.00 m2 in area. A potential
d U Density
Energy 1
e AdE
u:
2
difference of 10,000 V (10.0 kV) is applied across the
u= =2 02
æe Aö
U = 12 CV 2 = 12 ç 0 ÷ ( Ed ) 2 uAd= 12 e 0 EAd U= 1
2 QV ; U= 1
2 CV 2 ; U =
Q2 capacitor. Compute a) the capacitance; b) the charge
on each plate; and c) the magnitude of the electric
è d ø 2C field in the space between them.

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