CAPACITANCE

q q

Two conductors isolated from one another

and from their surroundings, form a
capacitor
charge  potential difference
Q V
Q  CV
CAPACITANCE
Q
C
V
 Parallel-Plate Capacitor

Gaussian
surface
        
q
d
q
        
GAUSS’S LAW
 
   E  dA
qenclosed

0
 + + + + + +
 
   E  dA
 EA
Q
 (Gauss's Law)
0
Q
E
0 A
V  Ed
Q
V d
0 A
Q A
C   0
V d
 Any arrangement with two plates can
form a capacitor: cylindrical or spherical.

The capacitance depends on geometry

UNITS AND SIZES FOR CAPACITANCES

coulomb
1 farad  1
volt
6
1 microfarad  10 farad
9
1 nanofarad  10 farad
1 picofarad  1012 farad
 How big is 1 Farad?
Choose d  1mm
A
C  0
d
Calculate area,
Cd
A
0
1F  0.001m
A 12
 1.1 10 m
8 2

8.85  10
 PLEASE ANIMATE

Filling a tank Emptying a tank

pump
Capacitors in Parallel

C1
C2

Ceq
For each capacitor,
q1  C1V , q2  C2V
Where V is the potential
between terminals a and b
q  q1  q2
CeqV  C1V  C2V
 Ceq  C1  C2
Ceq   Cn  For n capacitors 
Capacitors in Series

C1 C2

V1 V2
Ceq
 q q
V1  , V2 
C1 C2
V  V1  V2
q q q
 
Ceq C1 C2
1 1 1
  
Ceq C1 C2
1 1
  For n capacitors 
Ceq Cn
ENERGY STORED IN ELECTRIC FIELD

q
dU  Vdq  dq
C
Q
q
U   dU   dq
0
C
2
Q
U
2C
 1
U  CV 2

2
1 2
CV
U
u 2
Ad Ad
0 A
C
d
2
0  V  1
u     0E 2

2 d 2
Coulomb’s Law With Dielectrics
1 q1q2
F
4 0 r r 2

 r  relative permittivity
1 q
Emedium 
4 0 r r 2

Evacuum
Emedium 
r
Distortion of
electron
orbital paths
due to
electrostatic
force
Distortion of electron orbits in a dielectric
Electric field decreases in dielectrics due to polarization
 - -

Parallel Plate Capacitor With Dielectric

decrease
in the
electric
field
 ELECTRIC CURRENT

j
A
vd
 Electron flow

Conventional current
Device

 
 dq
i
dt
constant current: q  i  t
else: q   idt
 CURRENT: UNITS AND SIZES

1 coulomb
1 ampere 
second
3
1 milliampere  1 ma  10 A
1 microampere  1  A  10 A6

9
1 nanoampere  1 nA  10 A
12
1 picoampere  1 pA  10 A
 i1  i2  i3
i2
i1

i3
 OHM’S LAW

i  mA 

i
R
V

V  iR
V  volts 
 Resistors

R
i i