TEAM UP AND EXPLORE

Group Number: _____ Grade and Section: _______________ Score:

Number of Members that are Present: ________ Date: __________________

Virtual Laboratory:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/cheerpj/capacitor-
lab/latest/capacitor-lab.html?simulation=capacitor-lab

A. Capacitance and Plates’ Area

Procedures and Details:
1. Open the “introduction”.
2. Tick on the capacitance.
3. Assign 1.5 V in the source. Write the data in the table.
4. Alter the plates’ area from 100.0 mm2 to 400.0 mm2. Write the
data on the table.
Plate Area (mm2) Capacitance (F)
100.0
400.0

Guide Questions:
1. What happens to the value of the capacitance when the area of the plates is
increased? How about when it is decreased?
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2. What is the proportionality relationship between the capacitance and the area of
the plates?
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B. Capacitance and the Separation Distance Between the Plates

Procedures and Details:
1. Open the “introduction”.
2. Tick on the capacitance.
3. Assign 1.5 V in the source. Write the data in the table.
4. Alter the separation distance between the plates from 10.0 mm
to 5.0 mm. Write the data on the table.

1
 Separation Distance Capacitance (F)
(mm)
5.00
10.0

Guide Questions:
1. What happens to the value of the capacitance when the separation distance
between the plates is increased? How about when it is decreased?
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2. What is the proportionality relationship between the capacitance and separation
distance between the plates?
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C. Capacitance and the Permittivity of the Dielectric

Procedures and Details:
1. Open the “dielectric”.
2. Tick on the capacitance.
3. Assign 1.5 V in the source. Write the data in the table.
4. Choose the “custom” as the dielectric material.
5. Insert it between the plates of the capacitor. Offset must be zero.
6. Set the dielectric constant (permittivity of the dielectric) to (a) 5 F/m then to (b) 2
F/m.
7. Complete the data on the table below.

Permittivity of the Dielectric (F/m) Capacitance (F)

5.0
2.0

Guide Questions:
1. What happens to the value of the capacitance when the permittivity of the dielectric
is increased? How about when it is decreased?
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2. What is the proportionality relationship between the capacitance and permittivity

of the dielectric?
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Conclusion:
Complete the formula for the capacitance of the capacitor using the concepts
learned about its proportionality relationship with the (a) area of the plates, (b) separation
distance between the plates, and (3) the permittivity of the dielectric.

C=