Parallel-plate

Capacitors
Two parallel plates a distance d apart are charged to a poten2al dierence V One plate gains the e- the other one loses Charge stored on each plate assuming empty space between plates

AV 0 Q0 = d
Ways to increase charge stored: increase A, increase V, decrease d
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Parallel-plate Capacitors
There is another way to increase the charge stored: Use a dielectric Dielectrics = insula2ng materials used to increase the capacity of the plates to store charge When a dielectric is placed between the charged plates, its molecules become polarized For a xed V, inser2ng a dielectric will increase the charge stored in the plates

Relative permittivity
The rela2ve permiGvity (or dielectric constant) r is the ra2o of (charge stored with dielectric)/(charge stored without dielectric) Charge stored on each plate (with dielectric)

AV 0r Q = rQ0 = d
Some typical values for r
Vacuum/Air = 1, Acrylic (Plexiglass) =4.5, Beeswax=2.6 Silk=3.5, Silicon= 12, Pyrex glass=5, Paper=3
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Capacitance (of parallel plate capacitor)

The capacitance C of a capacitor is dened as the charge stored per unit p.d.(voltage) applied across its plates

Q A 0r C= = V d
Unit: Farad (F) = 1 Coulomb per Volt Capacitance values are usually given in
F (1F=10-6F) pF (1pF=10-12F)

Large capacitance can be achieved by increasing A, decreasing d, using dielectrics

Example
Consider a capacitor made of two 0.05 m2 plates separated by 0.5 mm. If the capacitance is 3.0 nF, what is the rela2ve permiGvity of the material between the plates? What is the unit of rela2ve permiGvity? [Assume 0=8.85 x 10-12 Fm-1]

Capacitors in Series
Capacitors are devices that store charge Charge stored Q = I t Capacitance C = Q/V Energy stored E = CV2
C1 C2 C3 I

V1

V2 V

V3

1 1 1 1 = + + C C1 C2 C3

Capacitors in Parallel
Capacitors are devices that store charge Charge stored Q = I t Capacitance C = Q/V Energy stored E = CV2
I1 I I2 I3 C1 C2 C3 V I

C = C1 + C2 + C3

Example
a) What is the equivalent capacitance of the following segment of a circuit if C1=C2=C3=3.0mF? b) If a voltage Vab = 6.0 V is applied, what is the charge on each capacitor? c) What is the voltage across each capacitor?

Example
An air-lled parallel plate capacitor has a capacitance of 5.0pF. A poten2al of 100V is applied across the plates, which are 1.0 cm apart, using a storage babery. What is the energy stored in the capacitor? Suppose that the babery is disconnected, and the plates are moved un2l they are 2.0 cm apart. What now is the energy stored in the capacitor? Suppose, instead, that the babery is lec connected, and the plates are again moved un2l they are 2.0 cm apart. What is the energy stored in the capacitor in this case?

Charging a Capacitor

Babery + -

To charge a capacitor we connect it to a babery Resistance of the wire + resistance of babery = R e- owing from nega2ve terminal charge one plate ve Electric repulsion charges the other plate +ve Electron buildup on ve plate reduces electron ow As 2me passed the rate of charge accumula2on decreases.
Q0 Q V0 V I 10

Charging a Capacitor: Equations

C R + - E VC

At start I0=E/R where I0 is the ini2al current, E the e.m.f. of the babery and R the resistance Acer 2me t the current is I and the p.d. across the capacitor is VC E VC I= R But I=dQ/dt and VC=Q/C . Subs2tu2ng and simplifying
dQ = CE Q = Q0 Q dt Integra2ng this we get Q $ Q0 Q ' 1 t dQ t dt = Q Q CR = ln & Q ) CR 0 % ( 0 0 0 CR

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V = V0 (1 e

t/RC

) Q = Q0 (1 e

t/RC

I = I0e

t/RC

Discharging a Capacitor
To discharge a capacitor we connect it to a resistance Charge drops with 2me Voltage drops with 2me Current drops with 2me Energy stored converted to heat at the resistor

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Discharging a Capacitor: Equations

At start capacitor charged to p.d. V0=Q0 /C Ini2al current I0=V0 /R Current acer 2me t: I = VC /R = Q/CR = -dQ/dt Integra2ng

dQ 1 Q = CR Q0

$Q' t dt ln & Q ) = CR % 0( 0
t

Q = Q0 e

t/RC

I = I0e

t/RC

V = V0 e

t/RC
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Example
A 2200F capacitor is charged to a p.d of 9V then discharged through a 100k resistor. a) What is the ini2al charge stored by the capacitor? b) What is the 2me constant of the circuit? c) Calculate the p.d. acer a 2me equal to the 2me constant d) Calculate the p.d. acer 300s.

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Past exam question part c

A 2.2F capacitor is connected in parallel with a power supply of 5V. It is also connected in parallel with a digital display on a DVD recorder. The display has a resistance of 6.8k. The purpose of the capacitor is to keep the display working if the electrical power is cut o. The diagram shows the arrangement Display 5V 2.2F R=6.8k i) Show that the 2me constant for the circuit is more than 4 hours. ii) Find the energy lost by the capacitor as it discharges from 5V to 4V [8 marks]

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Past exam question part d

The voltage across the capacitor varies with 2me according to the equa2on V = V0 et/RC Calculate the 2me that it takes for the voltage to fall from 5V to 4V in hours. [4 marks]

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To Do
From chapter 22 read sec2ons 22.5 (Capacitors) Homework Assignment wk4: 22.21, 22.22, 22.23, 22.25, 22.28, 22.30 Hand it in no later than 4:00pm next Wednesday - LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

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