Click to edit Master title style

1 1
Click to edit Master title style

Capacitance &
Dielectric
By
D r. M u h a m m a d N a d e e m

2
Click to edit Master title style

Capacitance
Subtitle

3 3
Click to edit Master title style
Outline

Definition of
capacitor
Capacitors Unit of a
in Parallel capacitance

Capacitors
Capacitors
in Series

Calculating
Combination
the
of capacitors
Capacitance

4 4
Click to edit Master
Definition title style
Of Capacitance
• From the word “capacity,” it
describes how much charge an DV=1.5 V
arrangement of conductors can
hold for a given voltage applied. _ + electrons

 Charges will flow until the right + charges

conductor’s potential is the
same as the + side of the +
battery, and the left
conductor’s potential is the 1.5 V
same as the – side of the “Charging” battery
battery. the capacitor
_
 How much charge is needed to electrons
produce an electric field whose + charges
potential difference is 1.5 V?
 Depends on capacitance: q  CV definition of capacitance

5 5
Click to edit
Definition of Master title style
Capacitance

• Consider two conductors as shown in fig (1), Such

combination of two conductors is called a
capacitor.
• The conductors are called plates. If the conductors
carry charges of equal magnitude and opposite
signs, a potential difference dV exists between
them.
• The quantity of charge q on a capacitor is linearly
proportional to the potential difference between the
conductors,

• The capacitance C of a capacitor is defined as

“the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on either Fig.1: A capacitor consists of
conductor to the magnitude of the potential two conductors. When the
difference between the conductors.” capacitor is charged, the
conductors carry charges of
𝑪=
𝒒 equal magnitude and 6 6
∆𝑽
opposite sign.
Clickof
Unit toCapacitance
edit Master title style

• Capacitance is always a positive quantity. Also, the charge q and

the potential difference are positive quantities too.
• Capacitance has SI unit of coulomb per volt, named after Michael
Faraday, the SI unit of capacitance is farad (F);

• The farad is very large unit of capacitance. In practice, typical

devices have capacitance ranging from microfarads ( farad) to
picofarads ( farad).

7 7
 Capacitors
Click to edit Master title style
• Definition : Device for storing electrical energy which can then be released in
a controlled manner.
• It consists of two conductors, carrying charges of q and –q, that are
separated, usually by a nonconducting material - an insulator
• Symbol in circuits is

• It takes work, which is then stored as potential energy in the electric field that
is set up between the two plates, to place charges on the conducting plates of
the capacitor
• Since there is an electric field between the plates there is also a potential
difference between the plates
8 8
Click to edit Master title style
Capacitors

• We usually talk
about capacitors in
terms of parallel
conducting plates.

• They in fact can

be any two
conducting
objects.
9 9
ClickCalculating
to edit Master title style
the Capacitance

• We start with the simplest form – two parallel conducting plates

separated by vacuum.
• Let the conducting plates have area A and be separated by a
distance d.
• The magnitude of the electric field between the two plates is
given by  Q
E 
0 0A

• We treat the field as being uniform allowing us to write

Qd
Vab  Ed 
0A

1010
Click toCalculating
edit Masterthe
titleCapacitance
style

• Putting this all together, we have for the capacitance

Q A
C  0
Vab d

• The capacitance is only dependent upon the geometry of

the capacitor

1111
Click to1edit Master
farad title style
Capacitor
• Given a 1 farad parallel plate capacitor having a plate
separation of 1mm. What is the area of the plates?
• We start with
A
C  0
d
• And rearrange to solve for A, giving

A

C d 1.0F  1.0  103 m


0 8.85  1012 F / m
 1.1  108 m 2

• This corresponds to a square about 10km on a side!

1212
Click to edit Master
Series title style
or Parallel Capacitors
• Sometimes in order to obtain needed values
of capacitance, capacitors are combined in
either

Series

or

Parallel

1313
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Series
• Capacitors are often combined in series and the question then
becomes what is the equivalent capacitance?

• Given • what is equivalent capacitance?

• We start by putting a voltage, Vab,

across the capacitors

1414
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Series

• Capacitors become charged because of Vab

• If upper plate of C1 gets a charge of

+Q,
• Then the lower plate of C1 gets a charge of -Q

• What happens with C2?

• Since there is no source of charge at point c, and we have

effectively put a charge of –Q on the lower plate of C1, the upper
plate of C2 gets a charge of +Q

Charge Conservation

• This then means that lower plate of C2 has a charge of -Q

1515
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Series
• We also have to have that the potential across C1 plus the potential
across C2 should equal the potential drop across the two capacitors

Vab  Vac  Vcb  V1  V2

Q Q
• We have V1  and V2 
C1 C2
Q Q
• Then Vab  
C1 C 2
• Dividing through by Q, we have Vab 1 1
 
Q C1 C 2
1616
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Series
• The equivalent capacitor will also have the same voltage
across it
1 V
Vab 1 1 The left hand side is the inverse of the definition 
  of capacitance C Q
Q C1 C 2
• So we then have for the equivalent capacitance

1 1 1
 
C eq C1 C 2
• If there are more than two capacitors in series, the resultant
capacitance is given by
1 1

C eq i Ci

1717
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Parallel
• Capacitors can also be connected in parallel

• Given what is

• Again we start by putting a

voltage across a and b

1818
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Parallel

• The upper plates of both capacitors are at

the same potential

• Likewise for the bottom plates

• We have that V1  V2  Vab

• Now Q1 Q2
V1  and V2 
C1 C2
or
Q1  C1V and Q2  C 2V
1919
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Parallel
• The equivalent capacitor will have the same voltage across it, as do the
capacitors in parallel

• But what about the charge on the equivalent capacitor?

• The equivalent capacitor will have the same total charge

Q  Q1  Q2
• Using this we then have

Q  Q1  Q2
C eqV  C1V  C 2V
or
C eq  C1  C 2
2020
Click to edit Master title
Capacitors style
in Parallel
Q  Q1  Q2
C V CV C V
eq
• The equivalent capacitance is just 1the sum
2
of the two capacitors.
or
C eq  C1  C 2
• If we have more than two, the resultant capacitance is just the sum of the individual
capacitances

C eq   C i
i

2121
 Example 1
Click to edit Master title style

C3 C
a

C 1 C2 º a b

b
• Where do we start?
• Recognize that C1 and C2 are parallel with each other and combine these to
get C12
• This C12 is then in series with C3

• The resultant capacitance is then given by

1 1 1 C3 (C1  C 2 )
 
C C3 C1  C 2 Þ C
C1  C 2  C3
2222
 Example 2
Click to edit Master title style
C
C C C
C

Configuration A
Configuration B Configuration C
• Three configurations are constructed using identical capacitors
• Which of these configurations has the lowest overall capacitance?

a) Configuration A • The net capacitance for A is just C

b) Configuration B • In B, the
c) Configuration C caps are in 1 1 1 2 C
    C net 
series and C net C C C 2
the resultant
is given by
• In C, the caps are in parallel
C net  C  C  2 C
and the resultant is given by 2323
 Example 3
Click to edit Master title style
What is the equivalent capacitance,
o
Ceq, of the combination shown?
C
Ceq C C

(a) Ceq = (3/2)C (b) Ceq = (2/3)C (c) Ceq = 3C

C
C
C
 C C1

1 1 1 C C 3
  C1  C eq C   C
C1 C C 2 2 2
2424
ClickEnergy
to editStored
Masterin
title style
a Capacitor

• Electrical Potential energy is stored in a capacitor

• The energy comes from the work that is done in charging the capacitor

• Let q and v be the intermediate charge and potential on the capacitor

• The incremental work done in bringing an incremental charge, dq, to

the capacitor is then given by

q dq
dW  v dq 
C
2525
ClickEnergy
to editStored
Masterin a Capacitor
title style

• The total work done is just the integral of this equation from 0
to Q

1 Q Q2
W 
C 0 q dq 
2C

• Using the relationship between capacitance, voltage and charge we

also obtain

Q2 1 2 1
U  C V  QV
2C 2 2
• where U is the stored potential energy

2626
ClickElectric
to editField
Master title style
Energy Density

• The potential energy that is stored in the capacitor can be thought of as

being stored in the electric field that is in the region between the two
plates of the capacitor

• The quantity that is of interest is in fact the energy density

1
CV 2
Energy Density  u  2
Ad

• where A and d are the area of the capacitor plates and their separation,
respectively

2727
 Electric
Click to editField Energy
Master Density
title style
A
Using C  0 and V  Ed we then have
d

1
u  0 E2
2
• Even though we used the relationship for a parallel capacitor, this result holds
for all capacitors regardless of configuration

This represents the energy density of the electric field in general

2828
 Dielectrics
Click to edit Master title style
• Most capacitors have a nonconducting material between their plates

• This nonconducting material, a dielectric, accomplishes three things

1. Solves mechanical problem of keeping the plates separated

2. Increases the maximum potential difference allowed between the

plates

3. Increases the capacitance of a given capacitor over what it would

be without the dielectric

2929
 Dielectrics
Click to edit Master title style
• Suppose we have a capacitor of value C0 that is charged to a potential
difference of V0 and then removed from the charging source

• We would then find that it has a charge of Q  C 0V0

• We now insert the dielectric material into the capacitor

• We find that the potential difference decreases by a factor K

V0
V
K
• Or equivalently the capacitance has increased by a factor of K

C  K C0
• This constant K is known as the dielectric constant and is dependent
upon the material used and is a number greater than 1

3030
 Polarization
Click to edit Master title style
• Without the dielectric in the Q
capacitor, we have +++++++++++++++

V0 E0
---------------
• The electric field points undiminished from the positive to the negative plate

• With the dielectric in Q

place we have +++++++++++++++
-

V 
-

E
- -
- +
- + + + -
+ +
+

---------------
• The electric field between the plates of the capacitor is reduced because
some of the material within the dielectric rearranges so that their negative
charges are oriented towards the positive plate
3131
Click to edit Master title style
Polarization

• These rearranged charges set up an

internal electric field that opposes the
electric field due to the charges on the
plates

• The net electric field is given by

E0
E
K

3232
 Redefinitions
Click to edit Master title style
• We now redefine several quantities using the dielectric constant

• We define the permittivity of the dielectric as being

  K 0
• Capacitance: A A
C  KC 0  K 0  
d d
with the last two relationships holding for a parallel plate
capacitor

• Energy Density 1 2 1 2
u  K  0 E  E
2 2

3333
Click to edit Master title style
Summary

• A capacitor consists of two conductors carrying charges of equal magnitude but opposite sign.
• If two or more capacitors are connected in parallel, the potential difference is same across all capacitors.
• If two or more capacitors are connected in series, the charge is same across all capacitors.
• Energy is stored in a capacitor because the charging process is equivalent to the transfer of charges from one
conductor at a lower electric potential to another at a higher electric potential.
• When a dielectric material is placed between the plates of the capacitors, the capacitance increases by a
dimensionless factor called the dielectric constant.

3434
Click to edit Master title style

Thank You
35