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Experiment Number: 03
Experiment Title: To verify the value of vacuum permittivity by a
parallel plate capacitor.
Data Table 1:

=360

Serial Separation between plates, d (mm) Capacitance, C (pF)

1. 2 1.59

2. 3 1.06

3. 4 0.80

4. 5 0.64

5. 6 0.53

6. 7 0.46

7. 8 0.40

8. 9 0.35

9. 10 0.32
Data Table 2:

=8

Serial Area, A ( ) Capacitance, C (pF)

1. 100 0.11

2. 150 0.17

3. 200 0.22

4. 250 0.28

5. 300 0.33

6. 350 0.39

7. 400 0.44
Draw C vs 1/d graph for Data Table 1, that is, you plot 1/d along the x-axis and C
along the y-axis. You will get a straight line. Find the slope of the line.

Graph 1 (for A):

Draw C vs A graph for Data Table 2, that is, you plot A along the x-axis and C
along the y-axis. You will get a straight line. Find the slope of the line.

Graph 2 (for d):

For Data Table 1,

Slope = 3.1771 1

Calculated value of ε0 = 8.825 ∗ 10

2 12

For Data Table 2,

Slope = 0.0011 2

Calculated value of ε0 = 8.8 ∗ 10

2 1 2

From the calculated value of vacuum permittivity from 11 & 12, we calculate the
mean of ε0.
2 1 2
Mean ε0 = 8.8125 ∗ 10 .
Comparing the calculated mean vacuum permittivity with the standard value of vacuum permittivity
12 2 1 2
(ε0 = 8.854 × 10 ), we calculate the percentage of error.

Percentage of error = 0.47 % (compared).

If we place a dielectric material of dielectric constant, κ>1 in place of air

in between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor then what should be the
change in graph 1 (C vs 1/d graph for Data Table 1)? Explain.

We all know, the dielectric constant, κ, of air is 1.0 and that the capacitance, C, of a
parallel plate capacitor is given by C=κϵ 0Ad. Hence, we can see that the capacitance
of a parallel plate capacitor is directly proportional to the dielectric constant of the
dielectric material between the plates. Therefore, if we place a dielectric material of
dielectric constant κ>1, in place of air, the capacitance of the capacitor would be
higher than those tabulated in Data Table 1. Following that, if we plot graph 1 with
higher values of capacitance for an unchanged separation between the plates, d, we
would get a similar straight line with an upward shift, i.e. with a greater y-intercept,
since values on only the y-axis (capacitance) would be greater.