Capacitor

A PowerPoint Presentation by
Projecte, Physics and Electronics Instructor
Rwanda Coding Academy
2023-2024
 Objectives: After completing this
topic, you should be able to:
• Define capacitor and capacitance in terms
of charge and voltage, and calculate the
capacitance for a parallel plate, Spherical
and cylindrical capacitors.

• Define dielectric constant and apply to

calculations of voltage, electric field
intensity, and capacitance.
• Find the potential energy stored in capacitors.
 Capacitor:
• Capacitor is a device that is capable of
storing electric charges or electric potential
energy
• It consists of two conducting plates
separated by a small air gap or a thin
insulator (called a dielectric such as mica,
ceramics, paper, oil,……….)
• The electrical symbol for a capacitor is
 Types of capacitors:

According to the form of plates:

• Parallel plate capacitors: Plates are plane
• Spherical capacitors: Plates are spherical
• Cylindrical capacitors: Plates are cylindrical

According to the kind of dielectric:

• Chemical capacitors (electrolytic capacitors)
• Paraffin capacitors
• Ceramic capacitors
• Variable air capacitors
Maximum Charge on a Conductor
A battery establishes a difference of potential that can
pump electrons e- from a ground (earth) to a conductor

Battery Conductor
Earth - - - - - -
-
e- e --
-
- -
---

There
There isis aa limit
limit to
to the
the amount
amount ofof charge
charge that
that aa
conductor
conductor can can hold
hold without
without leaking
leaking to
to the
the air.
air.
There
There isis aa certain
certain capacity
capacity for
for holding
holding charge.
charge.
 Capacitance
The
Thecapacitance
capacitanceCCofofaacapacitor
capacitorisisdefined
definedasas
the
theratio
ratioof
ofthe
thecharge
chargeQQononthe
theplates
platesto tothe
the
potential
potentialVVproduced
producedbetween
betweenthe
theplates.
plates.
Battery Conductor
Earth - - - - - -
- Q, V
e- e --
-
- -
---
QQ
Capacitance: CC ; ; Units
Units: :Coulombs
Coulombsper
pervolt
volt
VV
 Capacitance in Farads
One farad (F) is the capacitance C of a conductor that
holds one coulomb of charge for each volt of potential.
QQ coulomb
coulomb (C)
(C)
CC  ;; farad (F) 
farad (F) 
VV volt
volt (V)
(V)

Example: When 40 C of charge are placed on a con-

ductor, the potential is 8 V. What is the capacitance?

Q 40  C
C  = 55 F
CC = F
V 8V
 Capacitance and Shapes
The charge density on a surface is significantly
affected by the curvature. The density of charge
is greatest where the curvature is greatest.

+ + + ++ + + + + ++
++ kQ
kQ
EEmm  2mm + + + ++
+
+ + + + + ++ + + +
rr 2

Leakage
Leakage (called
(called corona
corona discharge)
discharge) often
often occurs
occurs
at
at sharp
sharp points
points where
where curvature
curvature rr isis greatest.
greatest.
 Dielectric Materials

A dielectric is an insulator material that

is placed between the plates of a
capacitor in order to prevent the effect
of sparking due to 2 opposites charges
in contact
 Dielectric Materials cont.
Most capacitors have a dielectric material between
their plates to provide greater dielectric strength
and less probability for electrical discharge.
Eo reduced E E < Eo
+ - +-+-+ - + -
+ - + - +- + -
+ Air - +-+-+ - +- + -
+ - +-+-+- + -
+ - + - +- + -
+ - + - + -
Co Dielectric C > Co
The separation of dielectric charge allows more charge
to be placed on the plates—greater capacitance C > Co.
 Advantages of Dielectrics in a
capacitor

• Smaller plate separation without contact.

• Increases capacitance of a capacitor.
• Higher voltages can be used without dielectric
breakdown (Dielectric to be a conductor).
• Often it allows for greater mechanical
strength.
 Dielectric Strength
The dielectric strength of a material is the
maximum electric field intensity Em that a
material can withstand before it breaks down
and start to conduct (Charge leakage.)

For
For air: Emm = 3 x 10 N/C
air: E = 3 x 10 66
N/C for
for spherical
spherical surfaces
surfaces
and
and as
as low
low as
as 0.8
0.8 xx 10
106N/C
6
N/C for
for sharp
sharp points.
points.
 Dielectric Constant, K
The dielectric constant K for a material is the
ratio of the capacitance C with this material as
compared with the capacitance Co in a vacuum.
CC Dielectric
KK  Dielectric constant:
constant:
CC00 KK =
= 11 for
for Air
Air
K can also be given in terms of voltage V,
electric field intensity E, or permittivity :

VV00 EE00 
KK   
VV EE 00
 Insertion of Dielectric
Air
Field decreases.
+Q E < Eo
Dielectric
Co Vo Eo  + +
+
+ + Voltage decreases.
-Q + V < Vo
Insertion of
a dielectric +Q Capacitance increases.
C > Co
C V E + +
Same Q Permittivity increases.
-Q
Q = Qo > o
 Insertion of Dielectric cont.
Let consider a capacitor of Qo and capacitance Co
in the absence of a dielectric (When the capacitor
is not connected to the external circuit).
The potential difference measured is
If the dielectric is inserted between the plates, the
voltage will decrease by a factor K to a value V,
Capacitance of a Parallel Plate
capacitor
+Q Area A For these two
parallel plates:
-Q d Q V
C and E 
V d
You will recall from Gauss’ law that E is also:
 QQ Q is charge on either
EE  
00 00AA plate. A is area of plate.

V Q QQ AA
E  And CC  00
d 0 A VV dd
 Example 1. The plates of a parallel
plate capacitor have an area of 0.4 m2
and are 3 mm apart in air. What is the
capacitance?
QQ AA
CC  00 A
VV dd
0.4 m2
-12 C2
(8.85 x 10 Nm 2
)(0.4 m 2 )
C
(0.003 m)
d 3 mm
1.18 nF
CC == 1.18 nF
 Example 2: Find the capacitance C and the
charge Q if connected to 200-V battery.
Assume the dielectric constant is K = 5.0.

5(8.85 x 10-12C/Nm2) 

44.25 x 10-12 C/Nm2 A

A (44.25 x 10
-12 C2
)(0.5 m ) 2 0.5 m2
C   Nm 2
d 0.002 m
CC == 11.1
11.1 nF
nF
d 2 mm
Q if connected to V = 200 V?
Q = CV = (11.1 nF)(200 V) QQ == 2.22
2.22 C
C
Example 2 (Cont.): Find the field E between
the plates. Recall Q = 2.22 C; V = 200 V.
 Q 
Gauss ' law : E  
 A
44.25 x 10-12 C/Nm2 A

2.22 x 10-6C 0.5 m2

E -12 C 2
(44.25 x 10 Nm2 )(0.5 m 2 ) 200 V

EE == 100
100 KN/C
KN/C d 2 mm

Since V = 200 V, the same result is found

if E = V/d is used to find the field.
Example 3: A capacitor has a capacitance of 6F
with air as the dielectric. A battery charges the
capacitor to 400 V and is then disconnected. What
is the new voltage if a sheet of mica (K = 5) is
inserted? What is new capacitance C ?

C V0 V0 Air dielectric
K  ; V
C0 V K
400 V
Vo = 400 V
V ; VV == 80.0
80.0 VV
5
C = Kco = 5(6 F) Mica dielectric

Mica, K = 5
30 FF
CC == 30
Capacitance of an isolated Sphere
At surface of sphere:
Capacitance, C
kQ kQ
EE  2 ;; VV  kQ
kQ r
rr 2 rr +Q
1
Recall: k E and V at surface.
4 0
kQ Q Q
And: V   Capacitance: C 
r 4 0 r V
Q Q
C 
V Q 4 0 r
C  44
C 00rr
 Example 1: What is the capacitance of
a metal sphere of radius 8 cm?
Capacitance, C Capacitance: C = 4r
r
C  4 (8.85 x 10-12 C Nm2 )(0.08 m)
+Q

r = 0.08 m CC == 8.90
8.90 x 10-12 FF
x 10 -12

Note:
Note: The
The capacitance
capacitance depends
depends only only on
on physical
physical para-
para-
meters
meters (the
(the radius
radius r)r) and
and isis not
not determined
determined by by either
either
charge
charge or
or potential.
potential. This
This isis true
true for
for all
all capacitors.
capacitors.
Example 1 (Cont.): What charge Q is
needed to give a potential of 400 V?
Capacitance, C CC == 8.90
8.90 x 10-12 FF
x 10 -12

r Q
+Q C  ; Q  CV
V
r = 0.08 m Q  (8.90 pF)(400 V)

Total Charge on Conductor: Q

Q == 3.56
3.56 nC
nC

Note:
Note: The
The farad
farad (F)
(F) and
and the
the coulomb
coulomb (C) (C) are
are
extremely
extremely large
large units
units for
for static
static electricity.
electricity. The
The SI
SI
prefixes micro ,
prefixes micro , nano
nano n,n, and
and pico
pico pp are
are often
often used.
used.
 Capacitance of a spherical capacitor when
its outer spherical shell is grounded
As shown on the following figure,
a three dimensional spherical
capacitor consisting of a solid
spherical conductor of radius a
having a charge Q and a
concentric spherical shell of radius
b having a charge –Q.

Gauss’s law

Potential gradient
Capacitance of a spherical capacitor cont.

Therefore the potential difference between the spheres

is:

Thus, the capacitance of the spherical capacitor is:

 Example:

How much charge is stored in a spherical capacitor

consisting of two concentric spheres of radii a =20 cm and
b=21 cm if the potential difference between them is 200V?

Thus,
Capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor when
its outer cylindrical shell is grounded

Gauss’s law

Potential gradient
Capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor cont.

Therefore the potential difference between the cylinders is:

 Example:

Given that:
 Applications of Capacitors
A microphone converts sound waves into an
electrical signal (varying voltage) by changing d.

Changing d Changing
AA ++
CC 00 ++ Area
dd -- ++
- + A
--
QQ --
d VV  Variable
Microphone CC
Capacitor

The tuner in a radio is a variable capacitor. The changing

area A alters capacitance until desired signal is obtained.
Energy of Charged Capacitor
The potential energy U of a charged
capacitor is equal to the work (qV)
required to charge the capacitor.
If we consider the average potential
difference from 0 to Vf to be V/2:

Work
Work =
= Q(V/2)
Q(V/2) =
= ½QV
½QV

22
QQ
U  11 QV ; U  11 CV 22
; U
U  22 QV ; U  22 CV ; U  
22CC
Example 4: In Ex-2, we found capacitance to
be 11.1 nF, the voltage 200 V, and the
charge 2.22 C. Find the potential energy U.

U  CV Capacitor of
22
U CV11
22
Example 5.
U 1
2 (11.1 nF)(200 V) 2
C = 11.1 nF

UU == 222
222 J
J 200 V

Verify your answer from the

U=?
other formulas for P.E.
22
QQ
UU  1122QV ; U 
QV ; U  Q = 2.22 C
22CC
 Energy Density for Capacitor
Energy density u is the energy per unit volume
(J/m3). For a capacitor of area A and separation
d, the energy density u is found as follows:

Energy Density U U
A d u 
u for an E-field: Vol. Ad
0 A
Recall C  and V  Ed :
d U
Energy 1
 AdE
Density u:
2
u  2 0

1 0
U  2 CV  2 
1 2  A
 ( Ed ) 2 uAd 1
2 0 E 2
Ad
 d 
 Connection of Capacitors
a) Capacitors in a parallel combination
b) Capacitors in a series combination