CAPACITANCE
CAPACITORS
• The capacitor’s ability
to store electric charge
• Can also be
determined using the
CAPACITANCE area A of the plates
and the properties of
the dielectric material
between the plates
The stored electric charge Q is proportional to the voltage V
applied to the capacitor of known capacitance C. On symbols,
this is written as:
• The SI unit for capacitance is farad F.
• One farad is equivalent to 1 coulomb per volt (C/V).
• These other units include 1 microfarad µF which has
a value of 10-6F;
• 1 nanofarad nF which has a value of 10-9 F;
• 1 picofarad pc which has a value of 10-12 F.
• When the capacitance is large, the amount of
charged stored is greater in a given potential
difference.
CAPACITOR
SIMPLE PASSIVE
DEVICE THAT CAN IT WORKS
STORE AN WHENEVER
STOREHOUSE ELECTRICAL THERE IS A
CHARGE ON THEIR SUDDEN CHANGE
OF ENERGY IN VOLTAGE OF
PLATES WHEN
CONNECTED TO A AN ELECTRIC
VOLTAGE SOURCE. COMPONENT
2
Not Electrically
parallel connected separated
Capacitor conducti or by air or
ve touching good
each insulating
plates other material
Wax
paper
Liquid INSULATING
gel MATERIAL ceramic
plastic
• Capacitors are used in almost
all electronic products in a
variety of ways.
• On the simplest level, they are
charged by a current, then they
release that current all at once.
• It is this charging and
discharging that operates the
flash on your camera and the
tuning dial on you radio, and it
stops your loudspeakers from
exploding.
Dielectric-the insulating layer between
capacitors plates.
PARALLEL PLATE CAPACITOR
In figure , two parallel plates of area
A is being stored with charges Q
and –Q on opposite plates using a
battery of given potential
difference.
The plates are maintained at a
separation distance d. The
separation distance is small
compared to the area of the plates.
The electric filed is almost
completely restricted on the area of
the plates and the field is uniform.
This arrangement is known as a
parallel plate capacitor.
PARALLEL PLATE CAPACITOR
PROCESS OF CHARGING
• During the process of charging, charges are stored on the
plates.
• When voltage is applied to the terminals of the capacitor,
electrons move from one plate and flow to the other plate.
• The total number of electrons in the capacitor remains the
same.
• When charging is complete, the battery can be disconnected.
• The voltage across the plate is the same as the voltage across
the battery.
CYLINDRICAL CAPACITOR
• A special type of parallel
plate capacitor in which
the insulating dielectric
layer is rolled up between
the plates.
• A cylindrical capacitor is
made up of a conducting
cylinder or wire of radius a
surrounded by another
concentric cylindrical shell
of radius b where b > a
SPHERICAL CAPACITOR
• A spherical
capacitor is formed
by two concentric
conducting spheres.
Example 1:
1. What is the capacitance of a parallel plate
capacitor with metal plates,
each of area 1.00 m2, separated by 1.00 x 10
-3 m?
2. What charge is stored in this capacitor if a
voltage of 3.00 × 103V is
applied to it?
CAPACITORS IN SERIES
• When the capacitors are placed in a connection where the circuit
elements are arranged side by side each other as shown in the figure 2
below, the capacitors are in series connection.
• Capacitors in series all have the same
current so each capacitor stores the same
amount of charge regardless of its
capacitance.
The reciprocal of the
equivalent capacitance in a
capacitor connected in series
is the sum of the reciprocal
of the individual capacitance
of the capacitors.
This means that the
equivalent capacitance is
always less than the
individual capacitance.
Since the charge in the equivalent capacitor is
the same for both capacitors, then the
potential differences across each capacitor can
be calculated using:
CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL CONNECTION
• When capacitors are placed in circuit
connection, the capacitors are in parallel
connection.
• The equivalent capacitance for capacitors connected in
parallel is the sum of the individual capacitance of the
capacitors.
• This means that the equivalent capacitance is greater
than the individual capacitance.
In a parallel connection, the potential difference
across each capacitor is the same as the potential
difference across the battery. The charge on each
capacitor can be calculate using:
EXAMPLE:
The capacitors have values C1 = 7.0 µF and C2 = 3.0 µF,
and the potential difference across the battery is 9.0 V.
Assume that the capacitors are connected in series.
a) Find the equivalent capacitance of the circuit.
b) Solve for the potential difference across each
capacitors
EXAMPLE
The capacitors have values C1 = 7.0 µF and C2 = 3.0 µF,
and the potential difference across the battery is 9.0 V.
Assume that the capacitors are connected in parallel.
a) Find the equivalent capacitance of the circuit.
b) Solve for the charge across each capacitors.
EXAMPLE
[Link] the total capacitance for three
capacitors connected in series, given
their individual capacitances are
1.000, 5.000, and 8.000 µf.
EXAMPLE
•2. Consider two capacitors C1 = 200µF and C2 =
600µF connected in series across a source of
voltageV = 4 volts. Determine: (a) C, (b) Q, (c) Q1
and Q2, and (d) V1 and V2.
EXAMPLE
Find the total capacitance of the combination of capacitors.
PRACTICE EXERCISES
[Link] capacitors have values C1 = 2.0 µF and C2 =
4.0 µF, C3 = 5.0 µF C4 = 7.0 µF and the potential
difference across the battery is 9.0 V.
Assume that the capacitors are connected in series.
a) Find the equivalent capacitance of the circuit.
b) Solve for the potential difference across each
capacitors.
QUIZ
[Link] capacitors have values C1 = 2.5 µF and C2 = 4.0 µF, C3 = 6.0
µF C4 = 8.0 µF and the potential difference across the battery is
12.0 V. Assume that the capacitors are connected in series. Find
the equivalent capacitance of the circuit and solve for the
potential difference across each capacitors.
2. Given the same problem in #1. Assume that the capacitors are
connected in parallel. Find the equivalent capacitance of the circuit.
Solve for the charge across each capacitors.
3. If you wish to store a large amount of energy in a capacitor bank,
would you connect capacitors in series or parallel? Explain.
4. FIND THE TOTAL CAPACITANCE OF THE
COMBINATION OF CAPACITORS
