CAPACITANCE &

DIELECTRICS
CHAPTER 4

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 Chapter Outlines

1 Capacitor & Capacitance

2 Dielectrics

3 Applications of Capacitors

4
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 Capacitor

A capacitor consists of two conductors that are close but not touching. A capacitor has the ability to store electric charge.

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Capacitors

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 Capacitance
Parallel-plate capacitor connected to battery. (b) is a circuit
diagram.

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 Capacitance
When a capacitor is connected to a battery, the charge on its
plates is proportional to the voltage:

The quantity C is called the capacitance.

Unit of capacitance: the farad (F)
1 F = 1 C/V
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 Capacitance
The capacitance does not depend on the voltage; it is a function
of the geometry and materials of the capacitor.
For a parallel-plate capacitor:

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Let’s try some more..
(a) Calculate the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor whose plates
are 20cm X 3.0cm and are separated by 1.0mm air-gap.
(b) What is the charge on each plate if a 12V battery is connected
across the 2 plates?
(c) What is the electric field between the plates?
(d) Estimate the are of the plates needed to achieve a capacitance of
1F, given the same air gap, d.

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 Dielectrics
A dielectric is an insulator, and is characterized by a
dielectric constant K.
Capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor filled with
dielectric:

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 Dielectrics

Dielectric strength is the

maximum field a dielectric
can experience without
breaking down.

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 Dielectrics
The molecules in a dielectric tend to become oriented in a way
that reduces the external field.

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 Dielectrics

This means that the electric field within the dielectric

is less than it would be in air, allowing more charge to
be stored for the same potential.

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 Concept: Capacitors
Capacitor C1 is connected across a battery of 1) C1
5 V. An identical capacitor C2 is connected
2) C2
across a battery of 10 V. Which one has the
most charge? 3) both have the same charge
4) it depends on other factors

+Q –Q

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 Concept: Varying Capacitance
What must be done to a 1) increase the area of the plates
capacitor in order to increase 2) decrease separation between the plates
the amount of charge it can 3) decrease the area of the plates
hold (for a constant voltage)?
4) either (1) or (2)
5) either (2) or (3)

+Q –Q

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 Storage of Electric Energy

A charged capacitor stores electric energy; the energy

stored is equal to the work done to charge the
capacitor.

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Let’s try..
A parallel-plate capacitor carries charge Q and is
then disconnected from a battery. The two plates are initially
separated by a distance, d. Suppose
the plates are pulled apart until the separation is 2d. How has
the energy stored in this capacitor
change?

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 Storage of Electric Energy

The energy density, defined as the energy per unit volume, is the
same no matter the origin of the electric field:

The sudden discharge of electric energy can be harmful or fatal.

Capacitors can retain their charge indefinitely even when
disconnected from a voltage source – be careful!

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 Storage of Electric Energy
Heart defibrillators use electric discharge to “jump-
start” the heart, and can save lives.

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 Cathode Ray Tube: TV and Computer
Monitors, Oscilloscope

A cathode ray tube contains a

wire cathode that, when heated,
emits electrons. A voltage
source causes the electrons to
travel to the anode.

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 Cathode Ray Tube: TV and Computer
Monitors, Oscilloscope
The electrons can be steered using electric or magnetic fields.

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 Cathode Ray Tube: TV and Computer
Monitors, Oscilloscope
Televisions and computer monitors (except for LCD and plasma
models) have a large

cathode ray tube as their

display. Variations in the
field steer the electrons
on their way to the
screen.

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 Cathode Ray Tube: TV and Computer
Monitors, Oscilloscope

An oscilloscope displays en electrical signal on a

screen, using it to deflect the beam vertically while
it sweeps horizontally.

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 The Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
The electrocardiogram detects
heart defects by measuring
changes in potential on the
surface of the heart.

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 Summary of Chapter 4
• Capacitor: nontouching conductors carrying equal and
opposite charge
•Capacitance:

• Capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor:

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 Summary of Chapter 4
• A dielectric is an insulator
• Dielectric constant gives ratio of total field to external field
• Energy density in electric field:

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Thank you

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