Republic of the Philippines

BICOL UNIVERSITY TABACO CAMPUS

Tabaco City

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NAME: BLOCK: BSED Science 2A
Bonaobra Wilfredo Jr. SUBMITTED: 22/02/2024
Boncacas Raymon Jay
Borbe, Christian Jay
Ceneta, Rodolfo Jr.
Clamutcha, Jay Alfred

INVESTIGATION No. 3
CHARGING CAPACITORS

I. OBJECTIVES:
A. Explain the relationships between voltage, charge, stored energy, and capacitance
B. Determine how capacitance changes when the plate area or plate separation changes
C. Describe how charge drains away from a capacitor into a light bulb.

II. MATERIALS
A. Laptop / Cell phone

III. PROCEDURES:
A. Open the simulation.
i. https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/capacitor-lab-basics/latest/capacitor-lab-basics_en.html
B. Click on the capacitor.
C. Disconnect the capacitor.
D. Connect the capacitor across the battery.
E. All the parameters (plate charges, bar graph, electric field, and current direction) must be selected as shown below

F. Connect the voltmeter across the capacitor and record your observations below:

IV. DATA & OBSERVATION:

A. DATA

What Charge on Charge on Direction of Potential Capacitance

happens to the upper the lower electric field difference
the charge on plate plate across the
the plate? capacitor
Increase the battery voltage to Constant (+) (-) (-) to (+) ↓ 1.5V 0.89 × 10-13 F
+1.5V Magnitude
(+ charge)
Decrease the battery voltage to Constant (-) (+) (+) to (-) ↑ - 1.5V 0.89 × 10-13 F
-1.5V Magnitude
(- charge)
Keep the battery voltage at Increased (+) (-) (-) to (+) ↓ 1.5V 3.54 × 10-13 F
1.5V & increase the area
Keep the battery voltage to Decreased (+) (-) (-) to (+) ↓ 1.5V 0.89 × 10-13 F
1.5V & decrease the plate area
Keep the battery voltage at Increased (+) (-) (-) to (+) ↓ 1.5V 1.77 × 10-13 F
1.5V and decrease the
separation
Keep the battery voltage at Decreased (+) (-) (-) to (+)↓ 1.5V 0.89 × 10-13 F
1.5V and decrease the
separation

B. OBSERVATION & ANALYSIS:

Voltage
An increase in the battery voltage (+ 1.5 V) resulted to a switch in the charge of the upper plate (+) and
lower plate (-), and also a shift in the direction of the electric field (downward). Similarly, a decrease in the battery
voltage (- 1.5 V) resulted to a switch in the charge of the upper plate (-) and lower plate (+), and also a shift in the
direction of the electric field (upward). However, the plate charge and capacitance remained constant. Therefore, the
direction of the electric field and the charges of the plates (+ or -) depends upon the charge of the voltage.

Area
An increase in the plate area (400 mm 2) resulted to an increase in the plate charge (0.53 x 10 -13C) and an
increase in capacitance (3.54 × 10-13 F). Whereas a decrease in the4 area (100mm2) resulted to a decrease in plate
charge (0.53 x 10-13C) and a decrease in capacitance (0.89 × 10 -13 F). Therefore, area is directly proportional to
charge and capacitance, with constant voltage.
Distance
As decrease in the distance (separation) between the plates (5mm) resulted to an increase in the plate
charge (0.27x10-12 C) and increase in capacitance (1.77 x 10-13F). Inversely, an increase in the distance (10mm),
resulted to a decrease in plate charge (0.13 x 10 -12 C) and a decrease in capacitance. Therefore, the distance
(separation) between the two plates is inversely proportional to the plate charge and the capacitance with constant
voltage.

V. CONCLUSION:
From the laboratory activity conducted, we therefore conclude that the direction of electric field and charges
of the plate is dependent upon the charge of the voltage. It was also observed that plate area is directly proportional
to the plate charge and capacitance. Whereas distance of separation is inversely proportional to the plate charge and
capacitance.