PHYS 3002 General Physics 2

Fundamentals of Physics Extended (10th edition) Jearl Walker,

David Halliday, Robert Resnick
Chapter 25 Capacitance

• 25-1 Capacitance
• 25-2 Calculating the capacitance
• Parallel plate
• Cylindrical
• spherical

• 25-3 Capacitors in parallel and in series

• 25-4 Energy stored in an electric field
• 25-5 Capacitor with a dielectric

03-Mar-24 Dr. M. Shaban, IU Madinah 1

 25-1 CAPACITANCE
What is Capacitance?
❑ From the word “capacity,” it describes
how much charge an arrangement of
conductors can hold for a given voltage
applied. DV=1.5 V
_
❑ Charges will flow until the right conductor’s +
electrons
potential is the same as the + side of the
battery, and the left conductor’s potential is
the same as the – side of the battery. + charges

❑ How much charge is needed to +

produce an electric field whose
potential difference is 1.5 V? 1.5 V
❑ Depends on capacitance: “Charging” battery
the capacitor
_
electrons

q = CV definition of capacitance + charges

The SI unit of capacitance is the coulomb per volt.

This unit occurs so often that it is given a special name, the farad10,
October (F):
2007
1 farad = 1 F = 1 coulomb per volt = 1 C/V.
 25-1 CAPACITANCE
Capacitance Depends on Geometry
DV=1.5 V
_
❑ What happens when the two +
conductors are moved closer DV=1.5 V
together? _ +
❑ They are still connected to the
battery, so the potential + charges
difference cannot change.
 
❑ But recall that V = − E  ds . +

❑ Since the distance between 1.5 V

them decreases, the E field increases battery
has to increase. _
constant
❑ Charges have to flow to make
that happen, so now these two + charges
conductors can hold more q = CV
charge. I.e. the capacitance
increases. increases
October 10, 2007
 25-1 CAPACITANCE
Capacitance Depends on Geometry
DV=1.5 V
_ +
❑ What happens if we replace
the small conducting spheres
with large conducting plates?
❑ The plates can hold a lot more
charge, so the capacitance Circular plates
goes way up. + charges

❑ Here is a capacitor that you +

can use in an electronic circuit.
❑ We will discuss several ways in 1.5 V
which capacitors are useful. battery
❑ But first, let’s look in more _
detail at what capacitance is.
+ charges

October 10, 2007

 Charge Without Battery
1. Say that we charge a parallel plate capacitor to 20 V, then
disconnect the battery. What happens to the charge and voltage?

A. The charge stays on the plates indefinitely, and the voltage stays constant
at 20 V.
B. The charge leaks out the bottom quickly, and the voltage goes to 0 V.
C. The charge jumps quickly across the air gap, and the voltage goes to 0 V.
D. The charge stays on the plates, but the voltage drops to 0 V.
E. The charge instantly disappears, but the voltage stays constant at 20 V.

Checkpoint 1
Does the capacitance C of a capacitor increase, decrease,
or remain the same
(a) when the charge q on it is doubled and
(b) when the potential difference V across it is tripled?
October 10, 2007
 25-2 CALCULATING THE CAPACITANCE

q = CV Or

Calculating the Electric charge

Calculating the Potential Difference

October 10, 2007

 25-2 CALCULATING THE CAPACITANCE
separation
❑ Parallel Plate Capacitor d

0 A
C= E and dA
d area A parallel
line of
❑ Cylindrical (nested cylinder) Capacitor integration
V+ V−
L
C = 2 0
ln(b / a) Total charge q
on inside of plate
❑ Spherical (nested sphere) Capacitor
ab
C = 4 0
b−a
❑ Capacitance for isolated Sphere
C = 4 0 R

October 10, 2007

 25-2 CALCULATING THE CAPACITANCE
Checkpoint 2
For capacitors charged by the same battery, does the charge stored by
the capacitor increase, decrease, or remain the same in each of the
following situations?
(a) The plate separation of a parallel-plate capacitor is increased.
(b) The radius of the inner cylinder of a cylindrical capacitor is
increased.
(c) The radius of the outer spherical shell of a spherical capacitor is
increased.

(a) Decrease

(b) Increase

(c) Decrease

October 10, 2007

 Sample Problem 25.01 Charging the plates in a parallel-plate capacitor
In Fig. a, switch S is closed to connect the uncharged capacitor of capacitance C =
0.25 μF to the battery of potential difference V = 12 V. The lower capacitor plate
has thickness L = 0.50 cm and face area A = 2.0 10-4 m2, and it consists of copper,
in which the density of conduction electrons is n = 8.49 1028 electrons/m3. From
what depth d within the plate (Fig. b) must electrons move to the plate face as the
capacitor becomes charged?
Solution The charge collected on the plate is
related to the capacitance and the potential
difference across the capacitor by q = CV.
The total charge magnitude that collects there is

The number N of conduction electrons that come up to the face:

Density of conduction electrons (number per volume),

October 10, 2007

25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Capacitors in Parallel
❑ No difference between

3C

and

V
C C C
n

Capacitors in parallel: Ceq =  C j

j =1

October 10, 2007

 25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Capacitors in Series
❑ There is a difference between and

C
3C
C

C
❑ Charge on lower plate of one and upper
plate of next are equal and opposite.
(show by gaussian surface around the
two plates).
❑ Total charge is q, but voltage on each is
n
1 1
Capacitors in series: C =  C
only V/3.

eq j =1 j

October 10, 2007

25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Capacitors in Series
❑ To see the series formula, consider the
individual voltages across each capacitor
q q q
V1 = , V2 = , V3 =
C1 C2 C3

❑ The sum of these voltages is the total

voltage of the battery, V

q q q
V = V1 + V2 + V3 = + +
C1 C2 C3

❑ Since V/q = 1/Ceq, we have

V 1 1 1 1
= = + +
q Ceq C1 C2 C3

October 10, 2007

25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Three Capacitors in Series

3. The equivalent capacitance for two
capacitors in series is C =
1
+
eq =
CC
C +C
1
.
1
1 2

What is the equivalent capacitance for

C1 C2 1 2

three capacitors in series?

C1C2C3
A. Ceq = C1 + C2 + C3
C1 + C2 + C3 D. Ceq =
C1C2C3
C1C2 + C2C3 + C1C3
B. Ceq = C1C2C3
C1 + C2 + C3 E. Ceq =
C1C2 + C2C3 + C3C1
C1C2 + C2C3 + C3C1
C. Ceq =
C1C2C3
October 10, 2007
 25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Example Capacitor Circuit

Step 1 Step 2

C1 C2 C12
parallel
V V series V C123

C3 C3

C12 = C1 + C2 1 1 1 C12C3
= + C123 =
C123 C12 C3 C12 + C3

C1 = 12.0 mF, C2 = 5.3 mF, C3 = 4.5 mF C123 = (12 + 5.3)4.5/(12+5.3+4.5) mF = 3.57 mF

October 10, 2007

25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Another Example

C4 C6
C1
C5
V series
CC
C2 C3 C45 = 4 5
C3 C 4 + C5

parallel
C23 = C2 + C3

October 10, 2007

25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Another Example
parallel
C4 C1456 = C1 + C45 + C6
C1 C45 C6
C5
V series
CC
C2 C3 C45 = 4 5
C3 C 4 + C5

parallel
C23 = C2 + C3

October 10, 2007

25-3 CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND IN SERIES

Another Example
C 4 C5
C45 =
C 4 + C5
C1456
C1456 = C1 + C45 + C6
V
C23 = C2 + C3 series
C23

C1456C23
C123456 =
C1456 + C23
Complete solution
 CC 
 C1 + 4 5 + C6 (C2 + C3 )
C4 + C5
C123456 = 
CC
C1 + 4 5 + C6 + C2 + C3
C 4 + C5
October 10, 2007
 Series or Parallel
4. In the circuits below, which ones show
capacitors 1 and 2 in series?C C 2 3

I II
C1
C1
A. I, II, III V V
C3 C2
B. I, III
C. II, IV C1
D. III, IV III IV
C3
E. None C2
V
C1
C2 C3
V

Check point 3
A battery of potential V stores charge q on a combination of two identical
capacitors. What are the potential difference across and the charge on either
capacitor if the capacitors are (a) in parallel and (b) in series?
October 10, 2007
 Sample Problem 25.03 One capacitor charging up another capacitor
Capacitor 1, with C1=3.55 μF, is charged to a potential difference V0 = 6.3 V, using a
6.3 V battery. The battery is then removed, and the capacitor is connected to an
uncharged capacitor 2, with C2=8.95 μF. When switch S is closed, charge flows
between the capacitors. Find the charge on each capacitor when equilibrium is reached.
25-4 ENERGY STORED IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD
Capacitors Store Energy
DV=1.5 V
❑ When charges flow from the battery, energy _ +
stored in the battery is lost. Where does it go?
❑ We learned last time that an arrangement of
charge is associated with potential energy. One
way to look at it is that the charge arrangement
stores the energy.
+ charges
❑ Recall the definition of electric potential V = U/q
❑ For a distribution of charge on a capacitor, a
+
small element dq will store potential energy dU
= V dq 1.5 V
❑ Thus, the energy stored by charging a capacitor battery
from charge 0 to q is _
1 q q2 1
U =  q dq = = 2 CV 2
C 0 2C + charges
25-4 ENERGY STORED IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD
Capacitors Store Energy
❑ Another way to think about the stored energy is to
consider it to be stored in the electric field itself.
❑ The total energy in a parallel plate capacitor is
0 A
U = 12 CV 2 = V2
2d
❑ The volume of space filled by the electric field in the
capacitor is vol = Ad, so the energy density is
 A
2
U V 
u= = 0 V 2 = 12  0  
vol 2dAd d 
 
❑ But V = −  E  ds = Ed for a parallel plate capacitor,
so
u = 12  0 E 2 Energy stored in electric field

October 10, 2007

 What Changes?
5. A parallel plate capacitor is connected to a battery of
voltage V. If the plate separation is decreased, which of
the following increase?
I. Capacitance of capacitor
A. II, III and IV.
B. I, IV, V and VI. II. Voltage across capacitor
C. I, II and III. III. Charge on capacitor
D. All except II. IV. Energy stored on capacitor
E. All increase.
V. Electric field magnitude
0 A between plates
C=
q = CV d VI. Energy density of E field

U = 12 CV 2 u = 12  0 E 2

October 10, 2007

 25-5 CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC
❖ You may have wondered why we write 0
(permittivity of free space), with a little
zero subscript. Dielectric Dielectric
❖ It turns out that other materials (water, Material Constant Strength
 (kV/mm)
paper, plastic, even air) have different
Air 1.00054 3
permittivities  = k0.
Polystyrene 2.6 24
❖ The k is called the dielectric constant, and
Paper 3.5 16
is a unitless number.
Transformer Oil 4.5
❖ For air, k = 1.00054 (so  for air is for our
Pyrex 4.7 14
purposes the same as for “free space.”)
Ruby Mica 5.4
❖ In all of our equations where you see 0, you
can substitute k0 when considering some Porcelain 6.5

other materials (called dielectrics). Silicon 12

❖ The nice thing about this is that we can Germanium 16

increase the capacitance of a parallel plate Ethanol 25
capacitor by filling the space with a Water (20º C) 80.4
dielectric: Water (50º C) 78.5
Titania Ceramic 130
Strontium 310 8
 0 A Titanate
C = = C October 10, 2007
d
 25-5 CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC
What Happens When You Insert a
❑
Dielectric?
With battery attached, V=const, so With battery disconnected, q=const,
❑
more charge flows to the capacitor so voltage (for given q) drops.

q = CV q
V=
C

q = CV q
V =
C

October 10, 2007

 25-5 CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC
What Does the Dielectric Do?
❖ A dielectric material is made of molecules.
❖ Polar dielectrics already have a dipole moment (like
the water molecule).
❖ Non-polar dielectrics are not naturally polar, but
actually stretch in an electric field, to become polar.
❖ The molecules of the dielectric align with the applied
electric field in a manner to oppose the electric field.
❖ This reduces the electric field, so that the net electric
field is less than it was for a given charge on the
plates.
❖ This lowers the potential (case b of the previous
slide).
❖ If the plates are attached to a battery (case a of the
previous slide), more charge has to flow onto the
plates.
October 10, 2007
 25-5 CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC

What Changes?
6. Two identical parallel plate capacitors are connected in
series to a battery as shown below. If a dielectric is
inserted in the lower capacitor, which of the following
increase for that capacitor?

A. I, and II. I. Capacitance of capacitor

B. All except II. II. Voltage across capacitor
C. All increase.
III. Charge on capacitor
C
V

 0 A  C
q = CV C=
d

October 10, 2007

 25-5 CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC

A Closer Look
❑ Insert dielectric
❑ Capacitance goes up by 
qq’
❑ Charge increases C V
❑ Charge on upper plate comes from upper V
capacitor, so its charge also increases.
❑ Since q’ = CV1 increases on upper qq’
capacitor, V1 must increase on upper  kC V
capacitor.

❑ Since total V = V1 + V2 = constant, V2 must

decrease.

October 10, 2007

 Home Work
• Problems 1-11
• Problems 29 -32
• Problems 40 - 43

October 3, 2007