Class 07: Outline

Hour 1:
Conductors & Insulators
Expt. 2: Electrostatic Force
Hour 2:
Capacitors

P07 - 1

Last Time:
Gausss Law

P07 - 2

Gausss Law
E =

G G Qenc
E dA =

closed
surface S

In practice, use symmetry:

Spherical (r)
Cylindrical (r, A)
Planar (Pillbox, A)
P07 - 3

Conductors

P07 - 4

Conductors and Insulators

A conductor contains charges that are free to
move (electrons are weakly bound to atoms)
Example: metals

An insulator contains charges that are NOT free to

move (electrons are strongly bound to atoms)
Examples: plastic, paper, wood

P07 - 5

Conductors
Conductors have free charges
E must be zero inside the conductor
Conductors are equipotential objects
E
-

Neutral
Conductor

+
+
+
+
P07 - 6

Equipotentials

P07 - 7

Topographic Maps

P07 - 8

Equipotential Curves

All points on equipotential curve are at same potential.

Each curve represented by V(x,y) = constant
P07 - 9

PRS Question:
Walking down a mountain

P07 -10

Direction of Electric Field E

E is perpendicular to all equipotentials

Constant E field

Point Charge

Electric dipole

P07 -11

Properties of Equipotentials
E field lines point from high to low potential
E field lines perpendicular to equipotentials
Have no component along equipotential
No work to move along equipotential

P07 -12

Conductors in Equilibrium
Conductors are equipotential objects:
1) E = 0 inside
2) Net charge inside is 0
3) E perpendicular to surface
4) Excess charge on surface

E =

0
P07 -13

Conductors in Equilibrium
Put a net positive charge anywhere inside a
conductor, and it will move to the surface
to get as far away as possible from the
other charges of like sign.

http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/8/8.02T/f04/visualizations/electrostatics/34-pentagon/34pentagon320.html

P07 -14

Expt. 2: Electrostatic Force

P07 -15

Expt. 2: Electrostatic Force

http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/8/8.02T/f04/visualizations/electrostatics/36-electrostaticforce/36-esforce320.html
P07 -16

Experiment 2:
Electrostatic Force

P07 -17

Capacitors and Capacitance

P07 -

Capacitors: Store Electric Energy

Capacitor: two isolated conductors with equal and
opposite charges Q and potential difference V
between them.

Q
C=
V
Units: Coulombs/Volt or

Farads
P07 -

Parallel Plate Capacitor

E =0

+Q = A

E =?

d
E =0

Q = A

P07 -20

Parallel Plate Capacitor

When you put opposite charges on plates, charges
move to the inner surfaces of the plates to get as
close as possible to charges of the opposite sign

http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/8/8.02T/f04/visuali
zations/electrostatics/35-capacitor/35capacitor320.html

P07 -21

Calculating E (Gausss Law)

G G qin
w
E dA =
S

AGauss
E ( AGauss ) =
0

Q
E= =
0 A 0

Note: We only consider a single sheet! Doesnt

the other sheet matter?
P07 -22

Alternate Calculation Method

Top Sheet:

E=
2 0

++++++++++++++

E=
2 0

Bottom Sheet:

E=
2 0

- - - - - - - -- - - - - -

E=
2 0

Q
E=
+
= =
2 0 2 0 0 A 0
P07 -23

Parallel Plate Capacitor

G G
Q
d
V = E dS = Ed =
A 0
bottom
top

0 A
Q
C=
=
V
d

C depends only on geometric factors A and d

P07 -24

Demonstration:
Big Capacitor

P07 -25

Spherical Capacitor
Two concentric spherical shells of radii a and b

What is E?

Gausss Law E 0 only for a < r < b,

where it looks like a point charge:

G
E=

Q
4 0 r

r
2
P07 -26

Spherical Capacitor
b
G G
Qr
V = E dS =
dr r
2
4 0 r
inside
a
outside

Q 1 1
=

4 0 b a

Is this positive or negative? Why?

4 0
Q
= 1 1
C=
V
a b

For an isolated spherical conductor of radius a:

C = 4 0 a

P07 -27

Capacitance of Earth
For an isolated spherical conductor of radius a:

C = 4 0 a

0 = 8.85 10

12

Fm

a = 6.4 10 m
6

C = 7 10 F = 0.7 mF
A Farad is REALLY BIG! We usually use pF (10-12) or nF (10-9)

P07 -28

1 Farad Capacitor
How much charge?

Q = C V
= ( 1 F )( 1 2 V )
= 12C

P07 -29

PRS Question:
Changing C Dimensions

P07 -30

Demonstration:
Changing C Dimensions

P07 -31

Energy Stored in Capacitor

P07 -32

Energy To Charge Capacitor

+q

-q

1. Capacitor starts uncharged.

2. Carry +dq from bottom to top.
Now top has charge q = +dq, bottom -dq
3. Repeat
4. Finish when top has charge q = +Q, bottom -Q
P07 -33

Work Done Charging Capacitor

At some point top plate has +q, bottom has q
Potential difference is V = q / C
Work done lifting another dq is dW = dq V
+q

-q

P07 -34

Work Done Charging Capacitor

So work done to move dq is:

q 1
dW = dq V = dq = q dq
C C
Total energy to charge to q = Q:
Q

1
W = dW = q dq
C0

+q

1Q
=
C 2

-q
P07 -35

Energy Stored in Capacitor

Q
Since C =
V
2

Q
1
1
U=
= Q V = C V
2C 2
2

Where is the energy stored???

P07 -36

Energy Stored in Capacitor

Energy stored in the E field!
Parallel-plate capacitor:
1 o A
1
2
U = CV =
2 d
2

( Ed )

C=
o E 2
2

o A
d

and V = Ed

( Ad ) = uE (volume)

uE = E field energy density =

oE

2
P07 -37

1 Farad Capacitor - Energy

How much energy?

1
2
U = C V
2
1
2
= ( 1 F )( 1 2 V )
2
= 72 J
Compare to capacitor charged to 3kV:

1
1
2
2
U = C V = ( 1 0 0 F )( 3 k V )
2
2
2
1
3
4
1 1 0 F 3 1 0 V = 4 5 0 J
=
2

)(

P07 -38

PRS Question:
Changing C Dimensions
Energy Stored

P07 -39

Demonstration:
Dissectible Capacitor

P07 -40