Name: Patricia Yaranon, Giancobi Young Date Performed: 4/11/22

Subject: PHYS 1235L Schedule: Thurs, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

Experiment No. 7: Capacitance

Table 1. Relationship Between Capacitance and Distance between Plates
2
Plate Area 𝐴: 2 𝑚
Voltage of Capacitor 𝑉: 3 𝑉
Resistance 𝑅: 5 Ω
Distance Reciprocal of Distance Capacitance Energy
between Plates between plates C stored on
d 1 (nF) Capacitor
𝑑
(mm) 1 U
( 𝑚𝑚
) (nJ)

0.5 2. 00 35.40 159.29

0.6 1. 67 29.50 132.75

0.7 1. 43 25.29 113.78

0.8 1. 25 22.13 99.55

0.9 1. 11 19.67 88.49

1.0 1. 00 17.70 79.64

NOTE: 1 nF = 10−9 F
1 nJ = 10−9 J
1 mm = 10−3 m
Graph A here:

Graph B here:
QUESTIONS:
1. What relationship exists between the capacitance of the capacitor and the reciprocal of
distance (Graph A)?
The relationship exists between the capacitance of the capacitor and the reciprocal of
distance is directly proportional.

1
2. What is the slope of the graph of C vs. 𝑑
? What is the physical significance of the slope?
The slope’s significance is that it shows whether the comparison of the 2 values are
positive or negative. It also shows the kind of relationship the values have which is a
direct relationship.

Point 1: (1.00, 17.70)

Point 2: (2.00, 35.40)
𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 35.40−17.70 17.7
𝑆𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = 𝑚 = 𝑟𝑢𝑛
= 2.00−1.00
= 1
= 17. 7

3. Show how the permittivity of free space is calculated using the slope of Graph A.
𝐴
𝐶 = ε0( 𝑑 )
𝐶𝑑
ε0 = 𝐴
1
𝐶𝑑 = 17. 7𝑛𝐹 · 1000
= 0. 0177𝑛𝐹 · 𝑚
2
𝐴 = 2𝑚
0.0177𝑛𝐹·𝑚 −3 𝑛𝐹 −12 𝐹
ε0 = 2 = 8. 85 × 10 𝑚
= 8. 85 × 10 𝑚
2𝑚

1
4. What relationship exists between the energy stored on a capacitor and 𝑑 (Graph B)?
1
The relationship exists between the energy stored on a capacitor and 𝑑 is directly
proportional.
 Table 2. Relationship between Capacitance and Plate Area
Distance between Plates d: 0. 6 𝑚𝑚
Voltage of Capacitor 𝐴: 3 𝑉
Resistance 𝑅: 5 Ω
Plate Area Capacitance Energy stored on
A C Capacitor
(m2) (nF) U
(nJ)

1.0 14.75 66.73

1.5 22.13 99.55

2.0 29.50 132.74

2.5 36.88 165.92

3.0 44.25 199.11

3.5 51.63 232.29

4.0 59.00 265.48

Graph C here:
Graph D here:

5. What relationship exists between the capacitance C and the plate area A (Graph C)?
The relationship between the capacitance C and the plate area A is directly
proportional.

6. What is the slope of the graph of C vs. A? What is the physical significance of the slope?
The slope’s significance is that it shows whether the comparison of the 2 values are
positive or negative. It also shows the kind of relationship the values have which is a
direct relationship.

Point 1: (1.00, 14.75)

Point 2: (4.00, 59.00)
𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 59.00−14.75 44.25
𝑆𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = 𝑚 = 𝑟𝑢𝑛
= 4.00−1.00
= 3.00
= 14. 75

7. Show how the permittivity of free space is calculated using the slope of Graph C.
𝐴
𝐶 = ε0( 𝑑 )
𝐶
ε0 = 𝑑 𝐴
𝐶 𝑛𝐹
𝐴
= 14. 75 2
𝑚
1
𝑑 = 0. 6𝑚𝑚 · 1000
= 0. 0006𝑚
 𝑛𝐹 −3 𝑛𝐹 −12 𝐹
ε0 = 14. 75 2 · 0. 0006𝑚 = 8. 85 × 10 𝑚
= 8. 85 × 10 𝑚
𝑚

8. What relationship exists between the energy U stored on capacitor and area A (Graph
D)?
The relationship exists between the energy U stored on capacitor and area A is directly
proportional.

9. There is vacuum (no matter) between the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor. The
distance between plates is 28.0 mm and the area of each plate is 46.0 cm2. (1 mm = 10−3 m
and 1 cm2 = 10−4 m2). If the capacitor is charged through a 220 V supply, calculate the
following (3 significant figures each):
Given:
𝑑 = 28. 0 𝑚𝑚 = 0. 028 𝑚
2
𝐴 = 46. 0 𝑐𝑚 = 0. 0046 𝑚
𝑉 = 220 𝑉
−12 𝐹
ε0 = 8. 85 × 10 𝑚

a) capacitance (in F) of the capacitor

𝐴
𝐶 = ε0( 𝑑 )
2
−12 𝐹 0.0046 𝑚
𝐶 = 8. 85 × 10 𝑚
·( 0.028 𝑚
)
−12
𝐶 = 1. 45 × 10 𝐹

b) charge (in C) stored in the capacitor, and

𝑄
𝐶= 𝑉
; 𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉
−12
𝑄 = (1. 45 × 10 𝐹) · (220 𝑉)
−10
𝑄 = 3. 19 × 10 𝐶

c) electric field (in N/C or V/m) between the plates.

𝑉
𝑉 = 𝐸𝑑; 𝐸 = 𝑑
220 𝑉 3 𝑁 3 𝑉
𝐸= 0.028 𝑚
= 7857. 142857 ≈ 7. 9× 10 𝐶
𝑜𝑟 7. 9× 10 𝑚
3 𝑁 3 𝑉
𝐸 = 7. 9× 10 𝐶
𝑜𝑟 7. 9× 10 𝑚