STEM02-PHYS_Experiment

Capacitors and Dielectrics

Group number 1 Kit number

Date the lab was conducted: Sunday , Sep 27

Date the lab report was submitted: Thursday , Oct 1

Course Stem Section 06

number 2 number

Student name(s), ID(s) and signature(s):

Name ID Signature
Fatima Dhahi Alkaabi 100059124

Dareen J.Mahboobeh 100059463

Nawaf Khalid Mohamed Altalay Al-Ali 100058602

Wadima Sultan Saeed Alnuaimi 100059180

Hamda Sultan Alzaabi 100058531

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 Ahmed Alshehhi 100059038

List the missing item/ quantity, if any:

Item Number Material Order Number Quantity

Aim:
This experiment will be investigating a parallel plate capacitor with introducing different
types of dielectric in between the two plates. Also, investigate all the factors determines the
capacitance of a capacitor.

Introduction
We are all familiar with batteries as a
source of electrical energy. We know that
when a battery is connected to a fixed load
(a light bulb, for example), charge flows
between its terminals. Under normal
operation, the battery provides a constant
current throughout its life. Furthermore, the
voltage across its terminal will not vary
appreciably - and when it does, it is an
indication that the battery needs
replacement.
Capacitors are devices in which electric
charges can be stored. In fact, any object in
which electrons can be stripped and
separated acts as a capacitor. Capacitance is
the ability of an object to store electric
charge. Practical capacitors are made of two
conducting surfaces separated by an
insulating layer, called a dielectric. The
capacitance of an ideal capacitor is defined
by C = Q/∆V where Q is the magnitude of
the net charge on each surface, and ∆V is the
potential difference between the two
conducting surfaces. The SI unit of
capacitance is the farad (F): 1 farad = 1 F =
1 coulomb/volt. The farad is ridiculously
large. So large, in fact, that most capacitance
measurements use microFarads (µF), nano

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(nF) and picoFarads (pF) as their unit of
measure. The capacitance of a capacitor
filled with a dielectric is given by C = κ C o,
where Co = Q/∆Vo is the capacitance in the
absence of the dielectric, and κ is the
dielectric constant. The presence of a
dielectric occupying the entire gap between
the capacitor plates increases the
capacitance by a factor κ.
There are many different types of capacitors:
tubular, mica, variable, and electrolytic to
name a few. A simple capacitor is the
parallel plate capacitor, represented in
Figure 1. The plates have an area A and are
separated by a distance d with a dielectric
(κ) in between. The plates carry charges +Q
and −Q, respectively, on their surfaces. The
capacitance of the parallel plate capacitor is
given by
Q εo A
C=k Co=k =k
∆Vo d

Figure 1: An assortment of capacitors.

Figure 2: A parallel plate capacitor with dielectric in orange

Objectives:
 Explore the properties of a single simulated capacitor.
 Identify the variables that determine the capacitance of a capacitor.
 Recognize how changing these variables affects the stored charge and energy.
 Determine the relationships between charge, voltage, and stored energy for a capacitor.
 Explore the result of inserting a dielectric material between the plates of the capacitor.
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  Explain how a capacitor or set of capacitors would be used in a real world application.

Materials:
Computer with Internet connection and Excel spreadsheet software.

Task 1: Capacitance

Access the PhET “Capacitor Lab” Simulation at

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/capacitor-lab. On the iMacs you must click “Download
Now” in blue, and then open the downloaded file. (Appears at the bottom of your window in
Chrome or the upper right corner in Safari).
The following window should appear:

1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
Start on the Introduction tab and check all boxes except Electric Field Detector. Move the red
voltmeter wire to the top plate and the black wire to the bottom plate.
2. Increase the battery voltage between 0 and 1.5 V. Record your measurements and
observations for changes in each of the following as you double the voltage (from 0.5 to
1 V).
a. Capacitance: constant (0.89x10^-13)
b. Plate charge: increasing
c. Stored Energy: increasing

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 d. Voltage across plates (Read off of voltmeter): increasing
e. How does the voltage across the plate compare to the battery voltage? constant

3. What changes do result from giving the battery a negative voltage?

the voltage will be negative and the flow of the electrons and the direction of the electric
field is switched

4. Remove the voltmeter and add the Electric Field Detector. Check “Show values” on the
detector.
a. What is the electric field outside the capacitor?

0
b. How does the magnitude and direction of the electric field change as you move
between the plates from the positive to the negative plate? Draw the electric
field.

Parallel plates create electric field away from the edges that is uniform so no matter
where you are + or - side the
electric field will always be the
same .

5. Based on what you observed in Items 1- 4, state the relationship between charge and
voltage for constant capacitance.

The relationship between the charge and the voltage is proportional.

Q=CV

6. Start with d = 10 mm, and A = 100 mm2; take 10 different measurements of Q as V

changes:
Table 1: The relationship between the change voltage of a capacitor and the charge.

V (V) Q (C)
0.183 0.16 x10^-13
0.274 0.24 x10^-13
0.366 0.32 x10^-13

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 0.457 0.40 x10^-13
0.549 0.49 x10^-13
0.64 0.57 x10^-13
0.762 0.67 x10^-13
0.854 0.76 x10^-13
0.945 0.84 x10^-13
1.311 1.16x10^-13

7. Using Excel: From Table

2 plot the graph of Q (y-
axis) vs. V (x-axis).

8. Find the slope. What is its unit? What does it represent? Compare to the set value.

 The slope is 0.8857

 The unit is Farad
 The slope has proven to have a similar value to the set value.

Task 2: Physical Factors

Now, you will investigate physical factors that affect the capacitance.
9. There are green sliders for plate area and separation. Predict and then find the
relationship between a change in these values and the capacitance.
Table 2: Factors impact the magnitude of a capacitor

Physical Factor Prediction Actual Relationship

When plate area is When plate area is
Plate Area increased increased
The capacitance value will The capacitance value will
increase.(directly increase.
proportional)
When place separation is When plate separation is
Plate Separation decreased decreased

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 The capacitance value will The capacitance value will
increase.(inversely increase.
proportional)

10. Write a proportion (not an equation yet) that reflects the relationships you discovered in
Item 9.

Plate area and capacitance are directly proportional to each other

Plate separation and capacitance are inversely proportional to each other.

11. Set A = 100 mm2 and take 10 measurements of C as you vary d increasing by increments
of 0.5 mm.

Table 3: The relationship of the distance between the two plates (constant area) and the magnitude of the capacitor

d (mm) C (F)x10^-13
5.0 1.77
5.5 1.61
6.0 1.48
6.5 1.37
7.0 1.27
7.5 1.18
8.0 1.11
8.5 1.04
9.0 0.98
9.5 0.93
10.0 0.89

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 12. Using Excel: from Table 3 plot the graph of C (y-axis) vs. d (x-axis). Describe the
relationship from your graph.
When the distance increase the capacitance decrease

13. Set d = 10 mm and take 10 measurements of C as you vary A increasing by increments of

30 mm2.

Table 4: Finding the relationship between the change of the plates area and the magnitude of capacitor with fixing the distance
between the two plates

A (mm2) C (F)x10^-13
100 0.89
130 1.17
160 1.40
190 1.68
220 1.95
250 2.22
280 2.47
310 2.75
340 2.99
370 3.29
400 3.54

14. Using Excel: From Table 4, plot the graph of C (y-axis) vs. A (x-axis).

15. Take 15 measurements of C as you vary d and A.

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 Table 5: Finding the ratio constant of the relation between the capacitor and (A/d)

A (mm2) d (mm) A/d (mm) C (F)x10^-10

100 5 20 1.77
100 6 16.67 1.475
100 7 14.29 1.26
100 8 12.5 1.11
100 9 11.11 9.83
100 10 10 8.85
200 5 40 3.54
200 6 33.33 2.95
200 7 28.57 2.53
200 8 25 2.21
200 9 22.22 1.97
200 10 20 1.77
400 5 80 7.08
400 6 66.67 5.9
400 7 57.14 5.05
400 8 50 4.425
400 9 44.44 3.933
400 10 40 3.54

16. Using Excel: Use table 5 and plot the graph of C (y-axis) vs. A/d (x-axis).

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 17. Find the slope. What is its unit? What does the slope represent? Compare to the true
accepted value.
The slope is dielectric and it has no unit

Task 3: Dielectrics
Investigate the effect of a dielectric material. A dielectric is an insulating material that is placed
between the two conducting plates of a capacitor.
18. Go to the “Dielectric” tab. Add a capacitance meter, plate charge meter, and voltmeter to
the simulation. Use the green “Offset” slider to move the dielectric material in between
the plates, and increase the battery voltage to +1.5 V.
a. List two quantities that you observe to increase with the addition of the dielectric.

Capacitance of energy stored, plate charge top and stored energy increase.

b. What quantity remains the same after inserting the dielectric and as the voltage
changes?

Charge stored

19. Remove the dielectric and disconnect the battery. (Reset). Now insert the slab in
between the plates. What happens to C and what happens to Q when the slab is in while
the battery is not connected? Record the values and answers in Table 6 below.

20. Remove the dielectric and connect the battery. Set the voltage at 0 V. Now insert the slab
in between the plates. What happens to C and what happens to Q? Record the values
and answers in Table 6 below.

21. Now increase the voltage to 1.5 V. What happens to C and what happens to Q when the
slab is already in and you increase the voltage from 0 to 1.5 V? Record the values and
answers in Table 6 below.

Table 6: A compression between a connected and not connected capacitor with a battery

Battery Slab V (volt) What happens to C? What happens to Q?

Not Connected Out 0V Decreases till it 0 because of the
reaches 0.89 x 10^-13 equation.
F C = Q/∆V
Not Connected In 0V Increases till it 0 because of the
reaches 4.43 x 10^-13 equation.
F C = Q/∆V
Connected Out 0V Decreases till it 0 because of the
reaches 0.89 x 10^-13 equation.
F C = Q/∆V
Connected In 0V Increases till it 0 because of the
reaches 4.43 x 10^-13 equation.

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 F C = Q/∆V
Connected In Increases from Increases till it C = Q/∆V
0 to 1.5 V reaches 4.43 x 10^-13 6.6 x 10^-13
F

22. Different materials have different effects when used as a dielectric. The degree to which a
material affects capacitance is referred to as its dielectric constant, κ (lower case kappa).
Use the slider to control the dielectric constant (here κ varies between 1 and 5) in order to
establish the following relationships for a constant voltage (of around 0.2 V):
a. The relationship between the dielectric constant and capacitance.

When we increase the dielectric constant, the capacitance increases too.

(direct relationship)

b. The relationship between the dielectric constant and the stored charge.

When we increase the dielectric constant, the stored charge increases too.

(direct relationship)

23. Use your answer to Item 22a to incorporate the dielectric constant into the proportion you
found in Item 10.

Direct relationship to the Capacitance :

Plate area and the dielectric constant because they are directly proportional

Inverse relationship to the capacitance :

Plate separation because its inversely proportional

24. Relation between C, κ, and ε0. Use Table 7

Table 7: The change of the capacitance with introducing different dielectric

Dielectric Dielectric Capacitance Charge C/C 0

Constant

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Slab Out Vacuum C =0.09x10^-12
0 Q =1.8x10^-14
0 0
(free space)

Slab In κ=1 C =0.09x10^-12 Q =1.8x10^-14 1

Slab In κ=2 C =0.18x10^-12 Q =3.6x10^-14 2

Slab In κ=3 C =0.27x10^-12 Q =5.4x10^-14 3

Slab In κ=4 C =0.35x10^-12 Q =7.4x10^-14 4.11

Slab In κ=5 C =0.44x10^-12 Q =9.2x10^-14 5.11

25. What value of κ corresponds to C = C0? κ = __1__.

What value of κ corresponds to the dielectric constant of free space? κ = __0__.

26. Calculate C/C0 and record in the table. From the data in the below tables, deduce a
relationship between C, κ, and C0. Write the final relation in terms of C, κ, and ε0.

κ=C/C 0

Note that one of the tables below will be used and the calculations in the last few
questions can be adjusted as needed by us.

27. Given the following dielectric constants, which would be (a) the
best and (b) the worst suited to storing the largest possible
amount of charge?

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We know that Q is directly proportional to C.
C and K are directly proportional .
So Q and C are directly proportional
A) Pure water is the best suited in storing the largest possible amount of
charge
B) Vacuum is the worst in storing the largest possible amount of charge

κA
The final proportion you should have arrived at is C ∝ . The corresponding equation for
d
κ ϵ0 A
capacitance is C= , where C is capacitance, κ is the dielectric constant, ε0 is a constant
d
with a value of 8.56 x 10-12 F/m, A is area of the plates, and d is the distance separating them.
28. Use this formula to find the capacitance for a capacitor with a separation of 5 mm of
transformer oil between the 20 mm x 20 mm square plates. Show your calculations and
verify the final answer by comparing it to the answer using the simulation.

κ ϵ 0 A (8.56 x 1 0−12)( 0.0004)(4)

C= = =2.74 x 10−12 F
d 0.005

A = 20mm x 20 mm = 400 mm2 = 4^10-4 m2

d = 5 mm = 5x10^-3m

for k = 4

29. A 9 x 10-11 F capacitor is made up of two circular plates (r = 7.6 mm) separated by 1.0
mm. Find the necessary dielectric constant and material for this capacitor. Show your
calculations.

κ ϵ0 A
C=
d

Cd
rearrange -> κ=
ϵ0 A
Known :

C = 9x 10^-11 F

r = 7.6mm = 0.0076 m

A= pi x (0.0076)^2 = 0.0001815 m^2

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d= 1x10^-3 m

9 x 1 0−11 (1 x 10−3)
κ= =58 .0 rounded
8. 56 x 1 0−12 (0.0001815)

The material is formic acid

References:
1. Physics, Principles with Applications, 7th edition (Global edition), D. Giancoli
2. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 7th edition, by R. A. Serway, J. W. Jewett

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