GENERAL PHYSICS 2

MODULE 2 : ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND CAPACITANCE

INTRODUCTION

Electrical energy is very important in our daily life. It is a basic necessity. We are aware that
electricity is produced in electrical generating plants. These plants send out electrical power along
high-voltage transmission lines and deliver it to electrical substations. In these substations, the
high-voltage power transmitted is converted into lower voltage that can be distributed to the users.
We then use that power for heating, lighting, air-conditioning and other activities.

Unit I of this module introduces the relationship between electrical energy and charge
distribution. Unit II of this module deals with capacitors and capacitance.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

 define electric potential energy, electric potential, and

capacitance;
 calculate the electric potential in a uniform electric field;
 calculate the electric potential created by point charges and
continuous charge distribution;
 relate equipotential surfaces to electric field; https://marekbennett.com/2014/11/04/how-to-draw-
 calculate the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor; up-a-lesson-plan/

 calculate the equivalent capacitance of capacitors when connected in series, parallel, or

combination of series and parallel.
 determine the energy stored in a capacitor

Congratulations for finishing module 1!

To get started with this module, answer the pre-test
questions. Please take note of your answers and compare it with
the key answers. It would be helpful to constantly take note of the
items that you were not able to get for this will be your focus in
mastering the lessons on electrical
energy and capacitance.
Suppose you have several positively charged objects close together secured in your hand.
Then you suddenly open your hand to release them. What do you think will happen? To answer
this, recall the rule of charges.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Read Topic 16 of your book on pages 527 to 557 and keep track of
the terms and concepts written below.

These are some of the important terms/concepts that you should define and take note of:

-electric potential energy and its unit -capacitance and its unit
-electric potential and its unit -factors affecting capacitance
-equipotential surfaces -combinations of capacitors

Analyze the situations below and try to answer the questions that follows:

1. There are two charged bodies A and B which are connected by a conducting wire.
a. If A is negative and B is positive, what will be the direction of the flow of electrons?
_________________________________________________________________
b. What does that mean?
_________________________________________________________________

* Electrons from A will flow toward B which means that B is at a higher potential
than A. B is at a positive potential with respect to A, or A is at negative potential
with respect to B.

2. The following are figures showing different kinds of map.

Figure A - contour map Figure B - weather map Figure C –equipotential lines map

a. What information can you derive from figure A and from figure B?
______________________________________________________________________
b. Compare the maps A and B with map C. What information can you derive from figure C?
______________________________________________________________________
* You will find out the answer to this question as you proceed with this module.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

For additional exploratory activities, you may want to visit the links below:

1. Simulation on “Electric
Field, Electrostatics and
Equipotential”
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html
/charges-and-fields/latest/charges-
and-fields_en.html

*Put like or unlike charges

into the spaces and notice the
directions of arrows.
*Put also the equipotential
meter on the spaces around the
charges and click the pencil.
Notice the formation of
equipotential lines.

2. Simulation on “Capacitor,
Capacitance, Circuits”

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/chee
rpj/capacitor-lab/latest/capacitor-
lab.html?simulation=capacitor-lab

*Adjust the green arrows

in the plates and notice the
changes in the values of the
capacitance.
*You may also see the
effects in the values of the
capacitance by putting different
dielectric materials in the
capacitor.
*Combinations of
capacitors in circuits may also
be made in the capacitors lab.
Equivalent capacitance is shown
in every combination whether
series, parallel or series-parallel
circuits.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Surely, you have a lot in mind after the activities above. Some of your questions might
have been answered in the work text reading yet some remains to be vague or unanswered.
Allow me to enlighten you in the next part of this module! 

In this module you will see that that the potential energy
concept is also useful in the study of electricity. Because the
Coulomb force is conservative, we can define an electric
potential energy corresponding to that force. We will also
define an electric potential—the potential energy per unit
charge— which corresponds to the electric field. Then we will
be able to begin analyzing electric circuits, starting with
capacitors, which are devices that store electrical energy. These capacitors have found uses virtually
everywhere, from etched circuits on a microchip to the creation of enormous bursts of power in fusion
experiments.

During our scheduled synchronous classes, we are going to have the discussion on the topics
in Electrical Energy and Capacitance specifically:

 Electric Potential Energy

 Electric Potential
 Equipotential Surfaces
 Capacitors
 Capacitance
 Combinations of Capacitors

You may also want to open the videos with the file names “Add’l – Capacitors Explained”
and “Add’l – Capacitors in Series and Parallel” for added information on the discussion made
above.

Here are key points and/or examples of calculations using the equations involved in
this module:

UNIT I
A. Electric Potential Energy:

If the test charge moves in

the direction of the electric field,
its potential energy decreases.
If it moves against the
direction of the electric field, the
potential energy increases.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Electric Potential Energy ( PEe or ΔPE) where: Ex – vector component of E in x-direction

d or Δx– displacement
PE  PEf  PE i  WF q - charge
WAB  Fx x  qE x  xf  xi  W – work done

W  q Ed  magnitude  PE  WAB

 qE x x SI unit: J
Examples:
1. A point charge of 3.0 nC with a mass of 4.0 g is moved from x=1.0 m to x=1.5 m in an
electric field of 5.0 N/C with the same direction as the motion of the charge.
(a) How much work is done on the charge by the electric force?
(b) What is the change in the potential energy of the charge?
(c) Assuming that the charge started from rest, what is its speed at x=1.5 m?
Given: q = 3.0 nC = 3.0 x 10-9 C E = 5.0 N/C
m = 4.0 g = 4.0 x 10-3 kg d = 1.5 m – 1.0 m = 0.5 m
Find : W, PEe, v
Solution:
(a). 𝑊 = 𝐹𝑑
From the formula, 𝑾 = 𝒒𝑬𝒅
= (3.0 x 10-9 C)(5.0 N/C)(0.5 m) = 7.5 x 10-9 J

(b). PEe = - W = - 7.5 x 10-9 J

(c). Using the work-energy theorem, 𝑊 = 𝐾𝑓 − 𝐾𝑖

Since vi = 0 (assuming it started from rest), then
1
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑣 2
2
1
7.5 𝑥 10−9 = (4.0𝑥10−3 𝑘𝑔)𝑣 2
2
𝑣= 𝟏. 𝟗𝐱𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝐦/𝐬

2. See also EXAMPLE 16.1 in your textbook page 529.

B. Electric Potential:

Electric potential ( V ) is also termed as electrostatic potential or voltage.

𝑃𝐸 𝑊𝐴𝐵
𝑉= = Unit: V or volt, 1 V = 1 J/C
𝑞 𝑞
Other equations: where: k – Coulomb’s constant r – distance
q – charge of the particle w/ sign
𝒌𝒒
𝑽 = 𝑬𝒅 = 𝒓
Electric potential is positive near a positive charge and negative near a negative charge.

*Note that: 1 N/C = 1 V/m

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Examples:
1. A point charge of – 6.00 x 10 -9 is 3.00 m from point A and 5.00 m from point B.
(a) Find the potential at point A and point B.
(b) How much work is done by the electric field in moving a 2.00 nC particle from point A
to point B?
Given: q = - 6.00 x 10-9 C
distance of pt. A from charge = 3.00 m
distance of pt. B from charge = 5.00 m

Find : VA , VB and W
Solution: Substitute the given values in the formula,
𝑘𝑞 (8.99𝑥109 𝑁𝑚2 /𝐶 2 )(−6𝑥10−9 𝐶)
(a). 𝐴 𝑉 = = = −𝟏𝟖. 𝟎 𝑽
𝑟𝐴 3.00 𝑚
𝑘𝑞 (8.99𝑥10 𝑁𝑚2 /𝐶 2 )(−6𝑥10−9 𝐶)
9
𝑉𝐵 = = = −𝟏𝟎. 𝟖 𝑽
𝑟𝐴 5.00 𝑚
𝑊
(b).
𝑞
= (𝑉𝐴 − 𝑉𝐵 )
𝑊 = 𝑞(𝑉𝐴 − 𝑉𝐵 ) = (2.00𝑥10−9 𝐶 )[(−18.0 𝑉 ) − (−10.8 𝑉 )] = 𝟏. 𝟒𝟒𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟖 𝑱

2. See also EXAMPLE 16.3 and EXAMPLE 16.4 in your textbook pages 533-536.

C. Equipotential Surfaces:

From the simulation activity in the Explore part of this module, you have seen
similar figures as above. The different equipotential surfaces (dashed lines) and electric
field lines (lines with arrows) for (a) a positive point charge and (b) two point charges of
equal magnitude and opposite sign.
In all cases the equipotentials are perpendicular to the electric field lines at every
point.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

An equipotential surface is a surface where the potential is the same at all points,
which means the potential difference between any two points on an equipotential surface is
zero. So, no work is required to move a charge at constant speed on an equipotential
surface.

Have you noticed in the

simulation activity that lines of
equipotential don’t have to be
circles.

Notice also that as you

move towards or away from the
equipotentials, the voltage
changes. But as you follow
around the contours or elliptical-
like shapes (equipotentials), the
voltage stays the same.

UNIT II

A. Capacitors and Capacitance :

Capacitors
A capacitor is a device used in many different
electric circuits, for example to tune the frequency of radio
receivers, eliminate sparking in automobile ignition systems,
or store short-term energy for rapid release in electronic
flash units.
What makes capacitors special is their ability to store
energy; they're like a fully charged electric battery.
Capacitors have all sorts of critical applications in circuits.

These are the standard capacitor circuit symbols. The symbol

with the curved line (#2 in the photo to the right) indicates that the
capacitor is polarized.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

The standard capacitor sandwich or parallel-plate capacitor: two metal plates separated
by an insulating dielectric.
The dielectric can be made out of all sorts of insulating materials: paper, glass, rubber,
ceramic, plastic, or anything that will impede the flow of current.
The plates are made of a conductive material: aluminum, tantalum, silver, or other metals.
They're each connected to a terminal wire, which is what eventually connects to the rest of the
circuit.

Capacitance ( C ) Units: farad (F) , C/V , C2/J

1 farad = 1 C/V = 1 C2/J

*The unit farad is a big value for a capacitance, therefore the range from picofarad to
microfarad are more commonly used.

Equation:
𝑞 𝐴
𝐶 = 𝑉 = 𝜖𝑑
where: q – charge
V - voltage
A – area of the plate
d – distance between plates
ϵ - permittivity of the insulating material

In the simulation activity on the introduction & dielectric part in the capacitors
laboratory in the explore part of this module, you have noticed that there are several factors
that affect the values of the capacitance of the capacitor. The relationships of the quantities
can also be deduced from the equation above.
 The bigger the area of the plates, the greater the capacitance.
 The closer the plates are to one another, the greater the capacitance.
 The higher the permittivity constant (dielectric constant) of the insulating material
or dielectric between the plates, the greater the capacitance.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Examples:

1. A capacitor consists of two square metal plates, each measuring 5.00 x 10 -2 m on a side.
In between the plates is a sheet of mica measuring 1.00 x 10 -4 m thick. (a) What is the
capacitance of this capacitor? If the charge in one plate is 2.00 x 10 -8 C, what is the (b)
potential difference and (c) electric field between the plates?

Given: side of the square plate = 5.00 x 10-2 m

d = 1.00 x 10 -4 m
q = 2.00 x 10 -8 C
Find : a. C
b. V
c. E
Solution:
𝐴 (𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒)2 𝐶2 (5.00𝑥10−2 𝑚)2
a. 𝐶 = 𝜖𝑑 = 𝜖 = (4.8 𝑥 10−11 𝑁𝑚2 ) [ ] = 𝟏. 𝟐𝟓𝐱𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝐅
𝑑 1.00𝑥10−4
𝑞 2.00𝑥10−8𝐶
b. 𝑉= = 1.2 𝑥 10−9𝐹 = 𝟏𝟔. 𝟕 𝑽
𝐶
𝑉 16.7 𝑉
c. 𝐸= = = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟕𝒙𝟏𝟎𝟓 𝑽/𝒎
𝑑 1.0 𝑥 10−4 𝑚

2. See also EXAMPLE 16.6, EXAMPLE 16.11 and EXAMPLE 16.12 in your textbook
pages 543,555-556.

B. Combinations of Capacitors :

Capacitors may be connected in series or in parallel. In the circuit part of the

simulation, you have noticed the value of the equivalent capacitance when different
connections are made whether in series or in parallel.

Capacitors in Series

In summary, the following relationships apply for

capacitors in series.
a. Charge:
qtotal = q1 = q2 = q3 =…=qn
b. Potential difference:
Vtotal = V1 + V2 +V3 + … + Vn
c. Capacitance:
1 1 1 1 1
= + + + ⋯+
𝐶𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐶1 𝐶2 𝐶3 𝐶𝑛

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Capacitors in Parallel

In summary, the following relationships apply for

capacitors in parallel.
d. Charge:
qtotal = q1 + q2 + q3 +…+ qn
e. Potential difference:
Vtotal = V1 = V2 = V3 = … = Vn
f. Capacitance:
Ctotal = C1 + C2 + C3 + … + Cn

Examples:

1. Given that C1 = 10.0 F, C2 = 5.0 F, and C3 = 4.0 F, find the total capacitance for each
connection shown.

b.C1, C2 and C3 are in parallel. Thus,

𝐶𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝐶1 + 𝐶2 + 𝐶3
𝐶𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 10.0 𝐹 + 5.0 𝐹 + 4.0 𝐹 = 𝟏𝟗 𝑭

c. C1 and C2 are in series. Therefore, their

combined capacitance C1+2 is
1 1 1 1 1
= + = +
𝐶1+2 𝐶1 𝐶2 10.0𝐹 5.0𝐹
1 0.10 0.20 0.30
= + =
𝐶1+2 𝐹 𝐹 𝐹
𝐶1+2 = 3.3 𝐹

This series combination of C1 and C2 is

parallel to C3. Therefore, the total
capacitance.
𝐶𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝐶1+2 + 𝐶3 = 3.3𝐹 + 4.0 𝐹 = 𝟕. 𝟑𝑭

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GENERAL PHYSICS 2

2. See also EXAMPLE 16.8 in your textbook pages 548.

3. See also EXAMPLE 16.9 in your textbook pages 549.

4. See also EXAMPLE 16.7 in your textbook pages 545.

C. Energy Stored in Capacitors :

If you accidentally touched the opposite plates of a charged capacitor, your fingers would
act as a pathway, and you would get an electric shock. Where high voltages and large
quantities of charge are present, as in the power supply of a television set, such a shock can
be fatal.
Capacitors store electrical energy, and that energy is the same as the work required to
move charge onto the plates. If a capacitor is initially uncharged, meaning both plates are
neutral, the plates are at the same potential, then very little work is required to transfer a small
amount of charge q from one plate to the other. Once this charge has been transferred, a small
potential difference appears between the plates, so work must be done to transfer additional
charge against this potential difference.

The energy stored in a capacitor is equal to this work.

1
𝑊 = 𝑃𝐸𝑒 = 𝑞𝑉
2
It may also be written in the following alternative forms.
1 1 1 𝑞2
𝑃𝐸𝑒 = 𝑞𝑉 = 𝐶𝑉 2 =
2 2 2 𝐶
Examples:

1. (a) How much energy is stored by a 35 μF capacitor when the charge on each plate is
2500 μC? (b) What is the potential difference between the plates of the capacitor?

Given: C = 35 μF = 35 x 10 -6 F
q = 2500 μC = 2500 x 10-6 C
Find : a. 𝑃𝐸𝑒
b. V
Solution:
1 𝑞2 1 (2500𝑥10−6 𝐶)2
a. 𝑃𝐸𝑒 = = = ( 𝟖. 𝟗 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟐 )𝐽
2 𝐶 2 35𝑥10−6 𝐹

𝑞 2500𝑥10−6𝐶
b. 𝑉 = 𝐶 = = 71.43 𝑉 ≈ 𝟕𝟏 𝑽
35 𝑥 10−6𝐹
2. See also EXAMPLE 16.10 in your textbook page 551.

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