2.21 Energy Stored in a Capacitor When the capacitor is charged, energy is expended by the charging source. This is because charging the capacitor means the transfer of the charges from one plate to the another. This transfer is against the opposition due to potential difference across the plates. Due to this, there is expenditure of energy on the part of charging source. This energy is sSlored in the capacitor in terms of the electrostatic field set up in the dieleciic medium. However, when the capacitor is discharged, this field collapses and energy siored in itis released. Derivation of expression : Let us determine the energy expended in charging a capacitor of capacitance C farads toa voltage V. Let at any instant of charging, the potential difference across the plates be ‘V’ volts. As per definition, it is equal to the work done in shifting one coulomb of charge from one plate to another. Now, if the charge of the capacitor is raised by a small amount “dq/ coulombs, the work done is, aw = V-dq = Seagjour (ar veg) ‘This work done is ultimately steed in the eapitor as a potential energy. ‘Therefore, the total energy stored when it is finally charged to ‘Q coulombs can be ‘obtained as, 272 2 we dpa. - [8] = Le joules o 0 Bat, v= 2y2 w oe a “ Energy stored, W = 5CV? joules2.22 Current in a Capacitor Wren voltage applied to the capacitor, more Sharing charges ate supplied to the capacitor and there is a po flow of current in the external cireult. The Fig. 222 shows » capacitor C connected across a voltage ‘V' and current ‘Te flowing, ae ‘through the external circuit. Let charge dq be applied to the capacitor in time dt, to increase the voltage across capacitor by dav. Fig. 2.22 Current in a capacitor Now, i= nd c= ag = Cav 1-08 And ved fra ‘The integral given here can also be interpreted as area uncler the current curve from co 0 the time t under consideration. Now, capacitor is filled with good insulation, then how can current flow through it ? ‘The answer is that current flow inside the capacitor is not because of movement of dlectrons i.e. it is not a conduction current. In a capacitor, we can assume that an imaginary current flows through the capacitor whose value just equals the conduction current outside the capacitor. This current is called ‘displacement current’ av _ dy i= displacement = ¢ SY = SY Koy Point: Outside the capacitor, the current flows by conduction process and inside the capacitor by displacement process.