Capacitance Of Capacitor

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Dielectric Constant
In parallel plate capacitor, when dielectric slab is placed between the two plates then the ratio
of the applied electric field strength to the strength of the reduced value of electric field
capacitor is called dielectric constant that is:
K = E o /E
K is dielectric constant
E 0 is greater than or equal to E
Where E o is dielectric
And E is net field
The larger the dielectric constant, the more charge can be stored. Completely filling the space
between capacitor plates with a dielectric increases the capacitance by a factor of the dielectric
constant:
C = KC o, where C o is the capacitance with no dielectric between the plates.
Effect of Dielectric on Capacitance
Dielectrics are usually placed between the two plates of parallel plate capacitors. They can fully
occupy the region between the plates or can partially occupy.
When the dielectric is placed between the two plates of parallel plate capacitor, it is polarized
by the electric field present. The surface charge densities are considered as σ p and – σ p.
When the dielectric is fully placed between the two plates of capacitor then it’s dielectric
constant increases from it’s vacuum value.

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How dielectrics increase the capacitance of capacitor?

The electric field between the plates of parallel plate capacitor is directly proportional to

capacitance C of the capacitor. The strength of electric field is reduced due to presence of

dielectric and if the total charge on the plates is kept constant then the potential difference is

reduced across the capacitor plates.

In this way dielectric increases the capacitance of capacitor.

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Dielectric Polarization
When an external electric field is applied to a dielectric material, its behavior can be
determined and is known as Dielectric Polarization that can be understood by the
displacement of charges(positive and negative) when an electric field is applied
The main task of the dielectric polarization is to relate macroscopic properties to microscopic
properties. Where macroscopic property can be dielectric constant to polarizability
Polarization occurs through the action of an electric field or other external factors, such as
mechanical stress in the case of piezoelectric crystals(piezoelectric crystals are those solid
materials which accumulates electric charge within them). Dielectric polarization can also arise
spontaneously in pyroelectric crystals, particularly in ferroelectrics (Ferroelectricity is a
property of certain materials that have a spontaneous electric polarization that can be
reversed by the application of an external electric field).

Inserting dielectric in Capacitor

When a dielectric material is introduced between the plates And when a dielectric material is
placed between the plates of parallel plate capacitor then due to polarization of charges on
either side of the dielectric, it produces an electric field of its own which acts in a direction
opposite to that of the field due to the source.
This makes the net electric flux zero. This effect results in capacitance.
Effect of dielectric on plates when voltage or charge is held constant
Inserting a dielectric between the plates of capacitor while either the voltage or charge is held
constant has the same effect that is the ratio of charge to voltage increases.

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What does a dielectric do to a capacitor?
Dielectrics are often called Insulators when the insulator is introduced between the two plates of
capacitor.
The side of the insulator closest to the positive plate will be negative, while the side closest to the
negative plate will be positive.
The net field inside the capacitor and the potential difference across the capacitor is decreased when
the electric field from the charge of capacitor plates are cancelled by the electric field from the
polarized dielectric.More charge is needed by the capacitor to return to its original potential difference.
The net effect of the dielectric is to increase the amount of charge a capacitor can store for a given
potential difference. The whole point of using a capacitor is to store charge, so coming up with a way to
store more charge for the same amount of effort is a good thing.
Capacitance in the presence of Dielectric
1. When dielectric is completely filled between the plates
When the area between the two plates is filled completely with dielectric then of relative permeability 𝜺r ,
C0 = C x 𝜺r
 The presence of dielectric will reduce the electric intensity by 𝜺r times
 Thus the capacitance is increased by 𝜺r times.
2. When dielectric is partially filled between the plates
When in parallel plate capacitor the area between the two plates are partially filled with air and partially
with other substance its Capacitance can be calculate.
Let there exist a parallel plate capacitor in which medium between the parallel plates is mainly the air
and partially other substance.
TYPE-1 TYPE-2

Plate capacitor that is filled with dielectric this

way can be replaced with two parallel
capacitors. One will be filled with air and one Think about how to solve this problem, if the
will be completely filled with dielectric. dielectric were put in another way (see picture).
The total capacity of parallel capacitors is equal Should the capacitor be filled with dielectric the
to the sum of each one’s capacity. way the picture shows, we would split it again into
Capacity of a plate capacitor is indirectly two (the air-filled one and the one filled
dependent on the distance of the plates and with dielectric). In this case the capacitors would be
directly dependent on the plates’ areas and the connected in series.
permittivity of the environment that is between
the plates.
The only thing, that is left to be found, are the where kd the separation between the original
areas of the plates of both capacitors. We will
plates, k the dielectric constant, and 𝜀0 the
use the fact, that we know the combined area of
the capacitors, and the ratio in which the permittivity in a vacuum.
capacitor was divided into two.

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TYPES OF CAPACITORS
Electrolytic Capacitors
In an electrolytic capacitor metallic anode coated with an oxidized layer
used as a dielectric. These capacitors are polarized. Electrolytic
capacitors are categorized based on their dielectric.
 Aluminum electrolytic capacitors – aluminum oxide (dielectric).
 Tantalum electrolytic capacitors – tantalum pentoxide (dielectric).
 Niobium electrolytic capacitors – niobium pentoxide (dielectric).
Applications of Electrolytic Capacitors
 Electrolytic capacitors are used when there is a requirement for
large capacitance.
 They are used as filtering devices that lower the ripple voltage.
 They are used in audio amplifiers to reduce the electrical noise
that is induced by the main supply.
 Electrolytic capacitors are used in smoothing the input and output
signals in a DC signal that has a weak AC component.

What is a variable capacitor?

A variable capacitor is a capacitor whose capacitance can be varied to a certain range of values
based on necessity. The two plates of the variable capacitor are made of metals where one of the
plates is fixed, and the other is movable. Their main function is to fix the resonant frequency in the LC
circuit. There are two types of variable frequency and they are, tunning capacitors and trimming
capacitors.
How does the shape of the capacitor affect its capacitance?
 The distance between the plates
The more distant the plates are, the less the free electrons on the far plate feel the push of the
electrons that are being added to the negative plate. This makes it harder to add more negative
charges to the negative plate. The current will flow through a short circuit if the plates are closer. This
implies that the capacitance of a parallel plate is inversely related to the plate separation.
 Area of the plates
It’s easier to add charges to a capacitor if the parallel plates have a huge area. Two wide metal plates
would give two repelling-like charges a greater range to spread out across the plate, making it easier
to add a lot more negative charges to one plate. Likewise, a very small plate area would cause the
electrons to get cramped together earlier, making it harder to get a large difference in charge for a
given voltage.
How long does a capacitor last?
Capacitors have a limited life span. Most capacitors are designed to last approximately 20 years.
What kind of energy is stored in a capacitor?
Energy stored in a capacitor is electrical potential energy, thus related to the charge Q and voltage V
on the capacitor.
Why isn’t water used as a dielectric in a capacitor?
Water has a high dielectric constant but a very low dielectric strength, hence it would act as a
conductor and leak charges through it.
What is a capacitor?
A capacitor is defined as a passive component which is used for storing electrical energy. A capacitor
is made of two conductors that are separated by the dielectric material. These dielectric materials are
in the form of plates which can accumulate charges. One plate is for a positive charge while the other
is for a negative charge.
How are capacitors classified according to their structure?
According to the structure, capacitors are classified into three types: fixed capacitors, variable
capacitors and trimmer capacitors.

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What is the working principle of the capacitors?
The principle of a capacitor is based on an insulated conductor whose capacitance is increased
gradually when an uncharged conductor is placed next to it.
Name the metals that are used in the capacitors.
Metals such as aluminum, silver, and other metals are used in the construction of the plates of the
capacitors. The dielectric materials which are used between these metallic plates are paper, ceramic,
or rubber depending on the application of the capacitor.
What will be the polarity of film capacitors?
The film capacitors do not have polarity as they are non-polarized.
How to calculate the energy stored in a capacitor?
U = (1/2) CV2
What are the applications of Capacitor Energy?
The audio equipment, uninterruptible power supplies, camera flashes, pulsed loads such as magnetic
coils and lasers use the energy stored in the capacitors.
Work done in charging a capacitor is?
(1/2)QV
Does energy get stored in a capacitor?
In a capacitor, the energy gets stored in the space between the two plates.
What type of energy is stored in a capacitor?
Electrostatic potential energy gets stored in the capacitor. It is thus related to the charge and voltage
between the plates of the capacitor.
Where does the energy stored in a capacitor reside?
When a charged capacitor is disconnected from a battery, its energy remains in the field in the space
between its plates.
How to increase the energy stored in a capacitor?
The energy of the capacitor depends on the capacitance and the voltage of the capacitor. If the
capacitance, voltage or both is increased, the energy stored by the capacitor will also increase. A
dielectric slab can be added between the plates of the capacitor to increase the capacitance of the
capacitor.
CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS
1. How does the energy contained in a charged capacitor change when a dielectric is inserted,
assuming the capacitor is isolated and its charge is constant? Does this imply that work was
done?
2. What happens to the energy stored in a capacitor connected to a battery when a dielectric is
inserted? Was work done in the process?
PROBLEMS & EXERCISES
1. (a) What is the energy stored in the 10.0 μF capacitor of a heart defibrillator charged to
9.00 × 103 V? (b) Find the amount of stored charge.
2. In open heart surgery, a much smaller amount of energy will defibrillate the heart. (a) What
voltage is applied to the 8.00 μF capacitor of a heart defibrillator that stores 40.0 J of energy?
(b) Find the amount of stored charge.
3. A 165 μF capacitor is used in conjunction with a motor. How much energy is stored in it when
119 V is applied?
4. Suppose you have a 9.00 V battery, a 2.00 μF capacitor, and a 7.40 μF capacitor. (a) Find the
charge and energy stored if the capacitors are connected to the battery in series. (b) Do the
same for a parallel connection.

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5. A nervous physicist worries that the two metal shelves of his wood frame bookcase might obtain
a high voltage if charged by static electricity, perhaps produced by friction. (a) What is the
capacitance of the empty shelves if they have area 1.00 × 10 2 m2 and are 0.200 m apart? (b)
What is the voltage between them if opposite charges of magnitude 2.00 nC are placed on
them? (c) To show that this voltage poses a small hazard, calculate the energy stored.
6. Show that for a given dielectric material the maximum energy a parallel plate capacitor can
store is directly proportional to the volume of dielectric (Volume = A · d). Note that the applied
voltage is limited by the dielectric strength.
7. Construct Your Own Problem. Consider a heart defibrillator similar to that discussed in
Example 1. Construct a problem in which you examine the charge stored in the capacitor of a
defibrillator as a function of stored energy. Among the things to be considered are the applied
voltage and whether it should vary with energy to be delivered, the range of energies involved,
and the capacitance of the defibrillator. You may also wish to consider the much smaller energy
needed for defibrillation during open-heart surgery as a variation on this problem.
8. Unreasonable Results.(a) On a particular day, it takes 9.60 × 103 J of electric energy to start a
truck’s engine. Calculate the capacitance of a capacitor that could store that amount of energy
at 12.0 V. (b) What is unreasonable about this result? (c) Which assumptions are responsible?
SELECTED SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS & EXERCISES
1. (a) 405 J; (b) 90.0 mC
2. (a) 3.16 kV; (b) 25.3 mC
4. (a) 1.42×10−5 C, 6.38×10−5 J; (b) 8.46×10−5 C, 3.81×10−4 J
5. (a) 4.43 × 10–12 F; (b) 452 V; (c) 4.52 × 10–7 J
8. (a) 133 F; (b) Such a capacitor would be too large to carry with a truck. The size of the capacitor
would be enormous; (c) It is unreasonable to assume that a capacitor can store the amount of energy
needed.

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