Name Shoaib Ijaz Class Mphil (Physics)

INTRODUCTION
Name Shoaib Ijaz Class MPhil(Physics)
CAPACITANCE AND DIELECTRICS

OUTLINE .1 Definition of Capacitance .2 Calculating Capacitance .3 Combinations of Capacitors .4 Energy Stored in a Charged Capacitor .5 Capacitors with Dielectrics
.1 Definition of Capacitance
The capacitance C of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the magnitude of the charge on either conductor to the magnitude of the potential difference between the conductors:
Note that by definition capacitance is always a positive quantity. Furthermore, the charge Q and the potential difference V are positive quantities. Because the potential difference increases linearly with the stored charge, the ratio Q / V is constant for a given capacitor.
The SI unit of capacitance is the farad (F),
CAPACITANCE
The charge, Q, on a capacitor is directly proportional to the potential difference, V, across the capacitor. That is, QV Introducing a constant, C, known as the capacitance of the capacitor, we have Q = CV Capacitance of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of charge on one of the capacitor plates to the potential difference between the plates. Charge Q is measured in coulombs, C. Potential difference, V, is measured in volts, V. Capacitance, C, is measured in farads, F. 1 farad is 1 coulomb per volt: 1 F = 1 C V-1 1 farad is a very large unit. It is much more common to use the following: mF = 10-3 F F = 10-6 F nF = 10-9 F pF = 10-12 F
.2 Calculating Capacitance
The capacitance of an isolated charged sphere
This expression shows that the capacitance of an isolated charged sphere is proportional to its radius and is independent of both the charge on the sphere and the potential difference.
Parallel-Plate Capacitors
Two parallel metallic plates of equal area A are separated by a distance d, One plate carries a charge Q , and the other carries a charge -Q .
That is, the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor is proportional to the area of its plates and inversely proportional to the plate separation
Example .1 Parallel-Plate Capacitor
.3 Combinations of Capacitors
Parallel Combination The individual potential differences across capacitors connected in parallel are the same and are equal to the potential difference applied across the combination. The total charge on capacitors connected in parallel is the sum of the charges on the individual capacitors
for the equivalent capacitor
If we extend this treatment to three or more capacitors connected in parallel, we find the equivalent capacitance to be
Thus, the equivalent capacitance of a parallel combination of capacitors is the algebraic sum of the individual capacitances and is greater than any of the individual capacitances.
Series Combination The charges on capacitors connected in series are the same. The total potential difference across any number of capacitors connected in series is the sum of the potential differences across the individual capacitors.
When this analysis is applied to three or more capacitors connected in series, the relationship for the equivalent capacitance is
the inverse of the equivalent capacitance is the algebraic sum of the inverses of the individual capacitances and the equivalent capacitance of a series combination is always less than any individual capacitance in the combination.
ENERGY STORED
IN AN
ELECTRIC FIELD
The potential energy of a charged capacitor may be viewed as being stored in the electric field between its plates. Suppose that, at a given instant, a charge q has been transferred from one plate of a capacitor to the other. The potential difference V between the plates at that instant will be q/C. If an extra increment of charge dq is then transferred, the increment of work required will be,
The work required to bring the total capacitor charge up to a final value q is
This work is stored as potential energy U in the capacitor, so that or
ENERGY DENSITY
The potential energy per unit volume between parallelplate capacitor is
V/d equals the electric field magnitude E due to
CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC
THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT The surface charges on the dielectric reduce the electric field inside the dielectric. This reduction in the electric field is described by the dielectric constant k, which is the ratio of the field magnitude E0 without the dielectric to the field magnitude E inside the dielectric:
Every dielectric material has a characteristic dielectric strength, which is the maximum value of the electric field that it can tolerate without breakdown
SOME PROPERTIES OF DIELECTRICS

Material Air (1 atm) Polystyrene Paper Transformer oil Pyrex Ruby mica Porcelain Silicon Germanium Ethanol Water (20C) Water (25C) Titania ceramic Strontium titanate 310 8 . 130 4.5 4.7 5.4 6.5 12 16 25 80.4 78.5 14 Dielectric Constant 1.00054 2.6 3.5 Dielectric Strength (kV/mm) 3 24 16
For a vacuum,
CAPACITANCE
WITH A
DIELECTRIC
Cair
q q V E0 d
Cair
Cair
q q V E0 d
E0 / E
q q 1 q C ( ) E0 d Ed Ed
C Cair
The capacitance with the dielectric present is increased by a factor of k over the capacitance without the dielectric.
Energy Stored Before the dielectric is inserted:
Energy Stored After the dielectric is inserted:

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INTRODUCTION

Name Shoaib Ijaz Class MPhil(Physics)

CAPACITANCE AND DIELECTRICS

The SI unit of capacitance is the farad (F),

Example .1 Parallel-Plate Capacitor

for the equivalent capacitor

This work is stored as potential energy U in the capacitor, so that or

V/d equals the electric field magnitude E due to

CAPACITOR WITH A DIELECTRIC

SOME PROPERTIES OF DIELECTRICS

Energy Stored Before the dielectric is inserted:

Energy Stored After the dielectric is inserted:

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