Chapter 5

Electric Potential and Capacitance

A A

d d

q m
B B

E g

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 5.1 (a) When the electric field E is directed

:

downward, point B is at a lower electric potential than

point A. When a positive test charge moves from A to B,
the charge–field system loses electric potential
energy. (b) A gravitational analogy: When an object with
mass m moves downward in the direction of the
gravitational field :
g , the object –field system loses
gravitational potential energy.

∆r
θ d
A C

F I G U R E 5.2 A particle is moved

in a uniform electric field. Point B is
at a lower potential than point A.
Points B and C are at the same
potential.
 A
B

∆V = 12 V
+

F I G U R E 5. 3 (Example 5.1) A 12-V battery

connected to two parallel plates. The electric field
between the plates has a magnitude given by the
potential difference V divided by the plate
separation d.
 + E

+ –

+ –
vB
vA = 0
+
+ B
+ A –
d

F I G U R E 5. 4(Example 5.
2) A proton accelerates from
A to B in the direction of the
electric field.

θ
dr ds

rB
r
A
rA

F I G U R E 5.5 The potential

difference between points A
and B due to a point charge q
depends only on the initial
and final radial coordinates rA
and rB . The two dashed circles
represent cross-sect -ions of
spherical equipo- tential
surfaces.
 r12 q2

q1
(a)

r12 q2

P
q
V = ke r 2
12
(b)

Figure 5.6
(a) If two point charges are sepa-
rated by a distance r 12, the po-
tential energy of the pair of
charges is given by k e q 1q 2/r 12 .
(b) If charge q 1 is removed, a po-
tential k e q 2/r 12 exists at point P
due to charge q 2.
 1 2
y y

µC µC

3.00 m 3.00 m

P
x x
2.00 µC 2.00 µC 3.00 µC
4.00 m 4.00 m

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 5.7 (Example 5.3) (a) The electric potential at point P due to the two point charges q 1 and q 2 is the algebraic sum
of the potentials due to the individual charges. (b) How much work is done to bring a 3.00- C charge from infinity to
point P ?
 q
+

(a) (b) (c)

F I G U R E 5.8 Equipotential surfaces (dashed blue lines) and electric field lines (brown lines) for (a) a uniform electric field
produced by an infinite sheet of charge, (b) a point charge, and (c) an electric dipole. In all cases, the equipotential surfaces
are perpendicular to the electric field lines at every point.
 y

a a
P
x
q q

F I G U R E 5.9 (Example
5.4) An electric dipole located
on the x axis.
 dq

F I G U R E 5.1 0 The electric

potential at point P due to a
continuous charge distribution can
be calculated by dividing the charge
distribution into elements of charge
dq and summing the potential
contributions over all elements.
 dq

x2 + a2
a

x
P

F I G U R E 5.11 (Example 5.5) A

uniformly charged ring of radius a, whose
plane is perpendicular to the x axis. All
elements dq of the ring are at the same
distance from any point P on the x axis.

V
3k eQ
V0 =
2R

VD =
k eQ
2R
( r2
R2
)
V0

k eQ
R 2 VB =
B V r
C 3 0
D
Q
r

R r
(a) (b)

F I G U R E 5.12 (Example 5.6) (a) A uniformly charged

insulating sphere of radius R and total charge Q. The electric
potential at points B and C is equivalent to that of a point
charge Q located at the center of the sphere. (b) A plot of
the electric potential V versus the distance r from the center
of a uniformly charged, insulating sphere of radius R. The
curve for VD inside the sphere is parabolic and joins smoothly
with the curve for VB outside the sphere, which is a
hyperbola. The potential has a maximum value V 0 at the
center of the sphere.
 ++
++
+
+
+ +
+ +
+
+
+ +
+ +
+ B
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+ + A
+

E
+

F I G U R E 5.13 An arbitrarily shaped conductor with an

excess positive charge. When the conductor is in
electrostatic equilibrium, all the charge resides at the
:
surface, E 0 inside the conductor, and the electric field
just outside the conductor is perpendicular to the surface.
The potential is constant inside the conductor and is equal
to the potential at the surface. The surface charge density
is nonuniform.
 + + +
+ +
+ +
(a) + R +
+ +
+ +
+ + +

V
k eQ
k eQ r
(b) R

k eQ
E
r2
(c)

r
R

FIGURE 5.14 (a) The excess

charge on a conducting sphere of
radius R is uniformly distributed on its
surface. (b) Electric potential versus
distance r from the center of the
charged conducting sphere. (c)
Electric field versus distance r from the
center of the charged conducting
sphere.

r1

q1

r2
q2

F I G U R E 5.1 5Two charged

spherical conductors connected by a
cond-ucting wire. The spheres are at
the same potential V.
 B

F I G U R E 5.16 A conductor in
electrostatic equilibrium containing
an empty cavity. The electric field in
the cavity is zero, regardless of the
charge on the conductor.
 Q

+Q

F I G U R E 5.1 7 A capacitor
consists of two conductors
electrically isolated from each
other and their surroundings.
Once the capacitor is charged,
the two conductors carry charges
of equal magnitude but opposite
sign.
 Q
+Q

Area = A
d

F I G U R E 5.18 A parallel-
plate capacitor consists of two
parallel conducting plates, each
of area A, separated by a
distance d. When the capacitor
is charged by connecting the
plates to the terminals of a
battery, the plates carry charges
of equal magnitude but opposite
sign.
 (Douglas C. Johnson/Cal Poly Pomona)
+Q

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 5.19 (a) The electric field between the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor is uniform near the center but
nonuniform near the edges. (b) Electric field pattern of two oppositely charged conducting parallel plates. Small
particles on an oil surface align with the electric field.

Separation
of charges
represents
potential
Electrons move energy
from the plate
Electrons
move
Figure 5.20
to the wire, from the
leaving the plate + wire to (a) A circuit consisting of a capac-
positively the plate itor, a battery, and a switch. (b)
charged
When the switch is closed, the bat-
tery establishes an electric field in
the wire that causes electrons to
E move from the left plate into the
Electric
Electric field between
wire and into the right plate from
field in
wire
plates
Electric the wire. As a result, a separation
field in of charge exists on the plates,
wire
+ + which represents an increase in
Chemical electric potential energy of the
∆V ∆V energy in system. This energy in the system
battery is
reduced of the circuit has been trans-
formed from chemical energy in
(a) (b) the battery.
b
a

b
a
Q Q
r

F I G U R E 5.2 1 (a) A cylindrical capacitor consists of a

solid cylindrical conductor of radius a and length
Gaussian surrounded by a coaxial cylindrical shell of radius b. (b)
surface End view. The dashed line represents the end of the
(a) (b) cylindrical gaussian surface of radius r.
 Capacitor
symbol

Battery
symbol +

Switch
symbol

F I G U R E 5.22 Circuit
symbols for a capacitor, a battery,
and an open switch. Note that
capacitors are in blue, and
batteries and switches are in red.
 C1

∆V1 = ∆V2 = ∆V
C1
C eq = C 1 + C 2
Q1
C2

C2

Q2

+
–
Figure 5.23
(a) A parallel combination of two capacitors con-
∆V ∆V ∆V nected to a battery. (b) The circuit diagram for
the parallel combination. The potential
difference is the same across each capacitor.
(a) (b) (c) (c) The equivalent capacitance is C eq C 1 C 2.
 C1 C2
∆V 1 ∆V 2
1 = 1 + 1
C eq C1 C2

+Q –Q +Q –Q
Q1 = Q2 = Q
C1 C2

+ ∆V1 ∆V2
–

∆V

+ +
∆V ∆V
(a) (b) (c)

Figure 5.24
(a) A series combination of two capacitors connected to a battery. (b) The circuit diagram for the series combination. The
charge on each capacitor is the same. (c) The equivalent capacitance can be calculated from the relationship
 1.0 4.0
4.0 4.0 2.0

F I G U R E 5.25 (Example 5.8) To find the 3.0

equivalent combination of the capacitors in (a), 6.0
a b a b a b a 6.0 b
the various combinations are reduced in steps as
indicated in (b), (c), and (d), using the series and
8.0 8.0 4.0
parallel rules described in the text. All 2.0 8.0
capacitance values are in microfarads.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
 Q 1i C1 Q 1f C1
+ +

a b a b
S1 S2 S1 S2

Q 2i Q 2f
C2 C2

(a) (b)

FIGURE 5.26 (Example 5.9) Two

capacitors are connected with plates of
opposite charge in contact.
 Dielectric

C0 Q0 C Q0
– –
+ +

∆V0 ∆V

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 5.27 A charged capacitor (a) before and (b) after

insertion of a dielectric between the plates. The charge on the
plates remains unchanged, but the potential difference decreases
from V0 to V V 0/ . Therefore, the capacitance increases
from C 0 to C 0.
 + – + –
– + + – + – +
–
+ – +
–
+ – + +
– +
+ – + – + – +
+ E0

+
– + – +
– +
– +

–
– +
+ +
+ – + – + – + – + E ind

– +
– + – + +
+ +
E0
(a) (b) (c)

F I G U R E 5.28 (a) Polar molecules are randomly oriented in the absence of an external electric field. (b) When an
external electric field is applied, the molecules partially align with the field. (c) The charged edges of the dielectric can be
: :
modeled as an additional pair of parallel plates establishing an electric field E ind in the direction opposite to that of E 0 .

Metal foil
Plates
Case

Electrolyte

Contacts

Oil Metallic foil + oxide layer

Paper
(a) (b) (c)

F I G U R E 5.29 Three commercial capacitor designs. (a) A tubular capacitor whose plates are separated by paper and then
rolled into a cylinder. (b) A high-voltage capacitor consists of many parallel plates separated by insulating oil. (c) An
electrolytic capacitor.
 Q0
C0
+

Dielectric

Q0
+

∆V 0

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 5.30 (Example 5.11) (a) A battery

charges up a parallel-plate capacitor. (b) The battery
is removed and a slab of dielectric material is inserted
between the plates.
 +Q Q

– +
+
+
– +

– +

F I G U R E 5.3 1 (Example 5.11)

When a dielectric approaches an
empty capacitor, the charge
distributions induced on the edges
cause an attraction between the
dielectric and the capacitor.
 m, Q
k
E

x=0

Figure P5.5

y
2.00 µ C q 2.00 µ C
x
x 0 x = 0.800 m
Figure P5.7

4.00 cm

2.00 cm
Figure P5.9
 20.0 nC

4.00 cm

10.0 nC 3.00 cm 40.0 nC

4.00 cm

–20.0 nC

Figure P5.15

y
B

d
x
A
L

Figure P5.21 Problems 5.21

and 5.22.
d

Figure P5.28

+Q a

Figure P5.32
 ∆V C1 C2

S1 S2
Figure P5.36

C1

C2 C3

Figure P5.37

µ
4.0 µF

µ
7.0 µF
a b
5.0 µ
µF

6.0 µ
µF

Figure P5.39
(Adam Hart-Davis/SPL/Custom Medical Stock)

Figure P5.41 A defibrillator in use.

0- F
 Stud

QUICK Q U I Z 5.1 (Quick Quiz 5.7) An

Capacitor electric stud finder. (a) The materials between
plates
the plates of the capacitor are the wallboard and
air. (b) When the capacitor moves across a stud
in the wall, the materials between the plates are
Stud finder
wallboard and wood. The change in the
Wallboard dielectric constant causes a signal light to
illuminate.
(a) (b)