Name: Sakata, Angela Louisse F.

Date: 03-09-23
Grade and Section: 10 - Einstein Subject: Basic Electronics

Virtual Activity #1
Capacitance and Dielectrics

Objectives:
1. Deduce the effect of parallel-plate capacitor on the capacitance, potential difference and stored
charge, and stored energy when the area of the plates or distance between the plates is changed.
2. Deduce the effect of dielectric in a capacitor on the stored charge, energy, and voltage between the
plates of the capacitor, when it is connected or disconnected from the battery.

3. Describe the potential difference and charge between the plates of capacitors connected in series,
parallel, and combination configuration.

Materials: Laptop and internet

Phet simulation link https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/cheerpj/capacitor-lab/latest/capacitor-lab.html?simulation=capacitor-lab
If java is needed, here is the link. https://www.java.com/en/download/

Theory

A capacitor is a device that can store electric charge, and consists of two conducting objects. Capacitors
are commonly used as energy storing device for radio receivers and electronic flashes, spark eliminator in
automobile ignition system, and filters for power supplies.

The ability of the capacitor to store electric charge is called capacitance. The capacitance of a capacitor is
defined as the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on either conductor to the potential difference between the
conductors.
𝑄
C= The SI unit of capacitance is the farad (F).
𝑉𝑎𝑏
The capacitance C does not in general depend on charge Q or voltage V. Its value depends only on the
size, shape, and relative position of the two conductors, and also on the material that separates them. For a
parallel-plate capacitor whose plates have area A and are separated by a distance d of air is given by
𝐴
C = ℇ0
𝑑
A dielectric is a nonconducting material that, when placed between the plates of a capacitor, increases
the capacitance. With a dielectric, the capacitance becomes C = κCo. The capacitance increases by the factor κ
when the dielectric completely fills the region between the plates. κ is the dielectric constant of the material.
Part 1. Explore how the capacitance varies with the separation between the plates and with the area of
the plates
Procedure:
1. Open the simulation. Choose introduction. Check the box
that says plate charges to view the charges on each plate.
Do the same for all capacitance, plate charge, stored
energy, and voltmeter.
2. Make sure that the battery is not connected to the
capacitor.
3. Set the area of the plates of the capacitor to 100.0 mm2
and the distance of separation to 10.0 mm.
4. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.
Screen Shot of the simulation.

4. Change the area of the plate to 400 mm2 and observe

what happen to the value of capacitance.
5. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.

Q1. What will happen to the capacitance of the capacitor

Screen Shot of the simulation. when you a) increase b) decrease the area of each plate?

Screen Shot of the simulation.
Part 2A. Explore the effect on the capacitance, potential difference, stored charge, and stored energy
when the area of the plates or distance between the plates of a charged capacitor is changed while the
battery is still connected.
Screen Shot of the simulation.
Screen Shot of the simulation.
6. Bring back the are of the plate to 100 mm2 and then
move the plates closer until they are 5 mm apart.
7. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.
Q2. What will happen to the capacitance of the capacitor
when you a) increase b) decrease e the separation distance
between the plates?
Procedure:
1. Connect the capacitor to the 1.5 volts battery. (see to it
that the scale is at 1.5 volts)
2. Set area of the plates of the capacitor to 100.0 mm2 and
separated by a distance of 10.0 mm.
3. To know the capacitance, plate charge, stored energy
and voltage of the capacitor, check the boxes under meter
located on the upper left corner of the simulation.
4. Connect the red sensor of the voltmeter on the surface
of the upper plate and the black sensor on the surface of
the lower plate.
5. Take note of the values measured by the meters and
then take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.
6. Change the area of the plate to 400 mm2 and observe
what happen to the value of capacitance, plate charge,
stored energy and voltage.
7. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.
Q3. What will happen to the capacitance, voltage, stored
charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when you
a) increase b) decrease the area of each plate while
connected to the battery?
 8. Reset the area to 100 mm2 move the plates closer to
each other until they are 5.0 mm apart, then, observe what
happen to the value of capacitance, plate charge, stored
energy and voltage.
9. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.

Q4. What will happen to the capacitance, voltage, stored

Screen Shot of the simulation. charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when you
a) increase b) decrease the separation distance between the
plates; while it is connected to the battery?

10. Complete the table 1 below.

Table 1. Effect on the capacitance, potential difference, stored charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when the
area of the plates or distance between the plates is changed while the battery is connected.
Action Capacitance Stored Charge (Q) Potential Stored Energy (E)
(increased, (increased, decreased, Difference (Vab) (increased,
decreased, or or constant) (increased, decreased, decreased, or
constant) or constant) constant)
The area of the plates is
increased.
The area of the plates is
decreased.
The distance between the
plates is increased.
The distance between the
plates is decreased.

Part 2B. Explore the effect on the capacitance, potential difference, stored charge, and stored energy
when the area of the plates or distance between the plates of a charged capacitor is changed after it was
disconnected from the battery.

1. Connect the capacitor to the 1.5 volts battery. (see

Screen Shot of the simulation.
to it that the scale is at 1.5 volts)
2. Set area of the plates of the capacitor to 100.0 mm2
and separated by a distance of 10.0 mm.
3. When the capacitor is fully charged (voltmeter
reading is equal to 1.5 volts), disconnect the capacitor from
the battery (click disconnect battery)
4. Take note of the values measured by the meters and
then take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.
 5. Change the area of the plate to 400 mm2 and observe
what happen to the value of capacitance, plate charge,
stored energy and voltage.
6. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.

Q5. What will happen to the capacitance, voltage, stored

charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when you
Screen Shot of the simulation. a) increase b) decrease the area of each plate after it was
disconnected from the battery?

7. Reset the area to 100 mm2 move the plates closer to

each other until they are 5.0 mm apart, then, observe what
happen to the value of capacitance, plate charge, stored
energy and voltage.
8. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.

Q6. What will happen to the capacitance, voltage, stored

Screen Shot of the simulation. charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when you
a) increase b) decrease the separation distance between the
plates; after it was disconnected from the battery.

9. Complete table 2 below.

Table 2. Effect on the capacitance, potential difference, stored charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when the
area of the plates or distance between the plates is changed after it was disconnected from the battery.
Action Capacitance Stored Charge (Q) Potential Stored Energy (E)
(increased, (increased, decreased, Difference (Vab) (increased,
decreased, or or constant) (increased, decreased, decreased, or
constant) or constant) constant)
The area of the plates is
increased.
The area of the plates is
decreased.
The distance between the
plates is increased.
The distance between the
plates is decreased.
Part 3. Explore how the dielectric affects the stored charge, energy, and voltage between the plates of a
charged capacitor, when it is connected or disconnected from the battery.
Part 3A – Charged capacitor is connected to the battery
Screen Shot of the simulation.
Screen Shot of the simulation.
Part 3B - Charged capacitor is disconnected from the battery
Screen Shot of the simulation.
1. Go to dielectric simulation by clicking the dielectric tab
locate don the upper part of the simulation.
2. Connect the capacitor to the 1.5 volts battery. (see to it
that the scale is at 1.5 volts)
3. Set area of the plates of the capacitor to 100.0 mm2 and
separated by a distance of 10.0 mm.
4. To know the capacitance, plate charge, stored energy
and voltage of the capacitor, check the boxes under meter
located on the upper right corner of the simulation.
5. Connect the red sensor of the voltmeter on the surface
of the upper plate and the black sensor on the surface of
the lower plate.
6. Take note of the values measured by the meters and
then take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and attach
on the box on the left.
7. Insert a custom dielectric (dielectric constant = 5)
between the plates of the capacitor.
8. Observe what happen to the value of capacitance,
plate charge, stored energy and voltage while the capacitor
is connected to the battery.
9. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and
attach on the box on the left.
Q7. What will happen to the capacitance, potential
difference, stored charge, and stored energy of a charged
capacitor when you insert a dielectric in the capacitor while
it is connected to the battery?
10. Remove the dielectric between the plates.
11. Disconnect the capacitor from the battery (click
disconnect battery).
12. Reinsert the custom dielectric between the plates.
13. Observe what happen to the value of capacitance,
plate charge, stored energy and voltage while the capacitor
is connected to the battery.
14. Take a screen shot of the simulation, crop it and
attach on the box on the left.
Q8. What will happen to the capacitance, potential
difference, stored charge, and stored energy of a charged
capacitor when you insert a dielectric in the capacitor after
it was disconnected from the battery.
15. Complete Table 3 below:

Table 3. Effect on the capacitance, potential difference, stored charge, and stored energy of a charged capacitor when a
dielectric material is inserted between the plates of capacitor while it is connected or disconnected from the battery
Action Capacitance Stored Charge (Q) Potential Stored Energy (E)
(increased, (increased, decreased, Difference (Vab) (increased,
decreased, or or constant) (increased, decreased, decreased, or
constant) or constant) constant)
Inserted the dielectric
while the charged
capacitor is connected to
the battery
Inserted the dielectric
while the charged
capacitor is disconnected
from the battery