CHAPTER 26A -

CAPACITANCE

© 2007
 Objectives: After completing
this module, you should be able
to:
• Define capacitance in terms of charge
and voltage, and calculate the
capacitance for a parallel plate
capacitor given separation and area of
the plates.
• Define dielectric constant and apply to
calculations of voltage, electric field
intensity, and capacitance.
• Find the potential energy stored in
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
capacitanceCCof ofaaconductor
conductorisis
defined
definedas
asthe
theratio
ratioofofthe
thecharge
chargeQQon on
the
theconductor
conductortotothe
thepotential
potentialVV
produced.
produced.
Battery Conductor
Earth - - - - -
- -
e- e- - - Q, V - -
---
QQ
Capacitanc CC ; ; Units
Units: :Coulombs
Coulombsper
pervolt
volt
VV
e:
 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  CC =
= 55 F
F
V 8V
 Capacitance of Spherical
Conductor
At surface of sphere:
Capacitance, C
kQ
kQ kQ
kQ r
EE  ; V 
 22 ; V 
rr 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
C 44
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.
 Dielectric Strength
The dielectric strength of a material is
that electric intensity Em for which the
material becomes a conductor. (Charge
leakage.)
Em varies considerably with
r
physical and environmental Q
conditions such as pressure,
humidity, and surfaces. Dielectric

For
For air:
air: EEmm == 33 xx 10
106 N/C
6
N/C for
for spherical
spherical surfaces
surfaces
and
and as low as 0.8 x 10 N/C
as low as 0.8 x 10 66
N/C for
for sharp
sharp points.
points.
Example 2: What is the maximum
charge that can be placed on a spherical
surface one meter in diameter? (R = 0.50
m)
2
Maximum Q kQ Em r
Em  2 ; Q 
r r k
Air
Q (3 x 106 N C)(0.50 m) 2
Em = 3 x 106 N/C
Q 9 Nm 2
9 x 10 C2

Maximum charge in air: Q

Qmm =
= 83.3
83.3 C
C

This
This illustrates
illustrates the
the large
large size
size of
of the
the coulomb
coulomb as
as aa
unit
unit of
of charge
charge in
in electrostatic
electrostatic applications.
applications.
 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 + + + + ++
+ + EEmm  kQmm
+ + + ++
+
++ + + + +  22 + + +
rr

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.
 Parallel Plate
Capacitance
+Q Area A For these two
parallel
d plates:
Q V
-Q 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 Q
Q AA
E  And CC 
  00
d 0 A VV dd
 Example 3. 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?
Q
Q 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
 Applications of
Capacitors
A microphone converts sound waves into an
electrical signal (varying voltage) by changing d.

Changing d Changing
AA ++
00
CC  ++ 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.
 Dielectric Materials
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

 Smaller
Smaller plate
plate separation
separation without
without contact.
contact.
 Increases

Increases capacitance
capacitance ofof aa capacitor.
capacitor.
 Higher

Higher voltages
voltages can
can be
be used
used without
without
breakdown.
breakdown.
 Often

Often itit allows
allows for
for greater
greater mechanical
mechanical
strength.
strength.
 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
 Dielectric Constant, K
The dielectric constant K for a material is
the ratio of the capacitance C with this
material as compared with the
capacitanceCCo in a vacuum.
KK  C Dielectric
Dielectric

CC00 constant:
constant: 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
 The Permittivity of a
Medium
The capacitance of a parallel plate
capacitor with a dielectric can be found
from:
AA AA
CC 
KC
KC00 or KK00
or CC  
or CC 
or
dd dd

The constant  is the permittivity of the

medium which relates to the density of
field lines. 2
 
KK00;; 00 
8.85
-12
8.85 xx 10
10-12 CC2
Nm 22
Nm
Example 4: 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-12
C/Nm 2
) x 10-12 C/Nm2
44.25 A


A (44.25 x 10
-12 C2
)(0.5 m ) 2 0.5 m2
Nm 2
C  
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 Q
Q= = 2.22
2.22
V) C
C
Example 4 (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 N/C
N/C d 2 mm

Since V = 200 V, the same result is

found if E = V/d is used to find the
field.
Example 5: 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
5 VV
C = Kco = 5(6 F) Mica
dielectric
Mica, K = 5
CC == 30
30
FF
Example 5 (Cont.): If the 400-V battery is
reconnected after insertion of the mica, what
additional charge will be added to the plates
due to the increased C?
Air Co = 6 F
Q0 = C0V0 = (6 F)(400
V) Q = 2400 C Vo = 400 V
0

Q = CV = (30 F)(400
V) Mica C = 30
Q = 12,000 C F
Mica, K = 5
Q = 12,000 C – 2400
C
Q = 9600 C Q
Q== 9.60
9.60
mC
mC
 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
22 QQ
U  11 QV ; U  1 CV ; U
U  22 QV ; U  22 CV ; U 
1 
22CC
Example 6: In Ex-4, we found capacitance to be
11.1 nF, the voltage 200 V, and the charge 2.22
C. Find the potential energy U.

22
U
U  CV
11
CV
22
Capacitor
of
2
U  2 (11.1 nF)(200 V)
1 Example
5C. = 11.1
nF
UU= = 222
222 200
J
J V
Verify your answer from
U=?
the other formulas for
P.E. 2
QQ 2
UU  11 QV ; U 
 22 QV ; U  Q = 2.22
22CC C
 Energy Density for
Capacitor
Energy density u is the energy per unit
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 U U
A u 
Density u for d Vol. Ad
an E-field:
0 A
Recall C  and V Ed :
d U
Energy 1
 AdE
Density
2
u  2 0

2 1 0
 A 2 Ad 1u:
u 2 0 E 2
Ad
U  2 CV  2 
1
 ( Ed )
 d 
 Summary of Formulas
QQ coulomb
coulomb (C)
(C)
CC  ; farad (F)
 ; farad (F)  
VV volt
volt (V)
(V)
Q
Q AA
CC 
  KK00 C
C 
44
00rr
VV dd
CC VV00 EE00 
KK 
     
CC00 VV EE 00
 uu  1
2
1
2

 00
EE
22

22
Q
11 CV 22; U  Q
U  11 QV ; U 
U  22 QV ; U  22 CV ; U 
22CC
CONCLUSION: Chapter 25
Capacitance