Electric Fields & Capacitors

Electric Field : The region around a charge where electric forces are experienced.
They Produced when positive and negative charge carriers are separated from each other.

Direction Of The Electric Field : The direction of a small positive charge placed in a field

Electric Field Strength (E) : The force acting on a unit positive charge

Electric Potential Energy (E. P . E.) : Total work done

Electric Potential (V ) : Work done per column

q -> charge, in Coulomb

Charge of a proton
−19
e = 1.6 × 10 C

Mass of a proton
−31
m e = 9.1 × 10 Kg

DATA SHEET

Uniform Electric Fields

F = q × E [constant]

Electric Field Strength (E)

Force per Charge

F V
E = or E = [constant]
q d

Electric Potential Energy

E. P . E. = F × d or V × q

Electric Potential (V)

V = E × d

Radial Electric Field

Coulomb's Law Of Gravitational Force

Force
 Qq
F = K
2
r

9 2 −2
K = 9 × 10 Nm C

1
K =
4πϵ 0

ϵ 0 = 8.85 × 10
−12
Fm
−1
-> Permittivity of free space

Electric Field Strength

Q
E = K
2
r

Qq
E. P . E. (work) = K
r
Q
E. P . (V ) = K
r

Electric Potential at a point : The amount of energy needed to bring a unit positive charge from infinity to this
point

No electric Field Strength inside the sphere:

- If a positive charge is placed inside the sphere it will be repelled by all positive charges at the surface from all
directions creating a net force of 0

Capacitors
Definition : It is a device to store charges or electrical energy

Applications

1. storing energy
1. Smoothing
2. blocking D.C. current
3. in oscillator circuits
4. in tuning circuits
5. in timing circuits

When the switch is closed the Potential Difference gradually rises till it reaches the supply voltage (Capacitor is
fully charged)
Capacitance
Definition : Charge per Volt

Measured in Farad (F )

Q
C =
V

Aspects controlling Charge / Discharge time

1. Capacitance of the Capacitor
2. Resistance of the Resistor

τ = R × C

τ -> Time Constant

t
−
x(t) = x 0 e τ

exponential decay
x can be Current, Charge or Voltage
t
−
V (t) = V 0 e τ

t
−
Q(t) = Q 0 e τ

t
−
C(t) = C 0 e τ

Remark
Q -> the charge of one sign on one plate

KQ
V =
r
Q
V =
4πϵ 0 r

1 1
=
C 4πϵ 0 r

C = 4πϵ 0 r

Capacitor Characteristics

1. Capacitance
2. Maximum safe working Voltage

Capacitors in Series

Similar to Resistors in parallel`

All Capacitors have the same Charge

1 1 1 1
= + + + ⋯
CT C1 C2 C3

Total Capacitance < Least Capacitor

 For 2 Capacitors in series
C 1 ×C 2
CT =
C 1 +C 2

Capacitors in Parallel

Connected in parallel : Components are connected directly to the supply voltage and the current is divided
between them.
Similar to Resistors in series

Capacitors have different Charge

Capacitors have the same P.D. across them
CT = C1 + C2 + C3 + ⋯

Energy Stored in a Capacitor

1
E = QV
2

1 2
E = CV
2
2
1 Q
E =
2 C

One Capacitor Charging the other

Energy Lost
Energy difference between the 2 systems is the work done for one capacitor to charge the lower capacitor