SECTION 7.

1 THE CAPACITOR 221

Finally, in many situations we will find that v(t0 ), the voltage initially
across the capacitor, is not able to be discerned. In such instances it is
mathematically convenient to set t0 = −∞ and v(−∞) = 0, so that

1 t
v(t) = i dt 
C −∞
Since the integral of the current over any time interval is the correspond-
ing charge accumulated on the capacitor plate into which the current is
flowing, we may also define capacitance as
q(t) = Cv(t)
where q(t) and v(t) represent instantaneous values of the charge on either
plate and the voltage between the plates, respectively.

EXAMPLE 7.2
Find the capacitor voltage that is associated with the current shown
graphically in Fig. 7.5a. The value of the capacitance is 5 μF.
v(t) (V)
i (t) (mA)
8

20

t (ms) t (ms)
–1 0 1 2 3 4 –1 0 1 2 3 4

(a) (b)
■ FIGURE 7.5 (a) The current waveform applied to a 5 μF capacitor. (b) The resultant voltage
waveform obtained by graphical integration.

Equation [2] is the appropriate expression here:


1 t 
v(t) = i(t ) dt  + v(t0 )
C t0
but now it needs to be interpreted graphically. To do this, we note that
the difference in voltage between times t and t0 is proportional to the
area under the current curve defined by the same two times. The con-
stant of proportionality is 1/C.
From Fig. 7.5a, we see three separate intervals: t ≤ 0, 0 ≤ t ≤ 2 ms,
and t ≥ 2 ms. Defining the first interval more specifically as between
−∞ and 0, so that t0 = −∞, we note two things, both a consequence
of the fact that the current has always been zero up to t = 0: First,
v(t0 ) = v(−∞) = 0
Second, the integral of the current between t0 = −∞ and 0 is simply
zero, since i = 0 in that interval. Thus,
v(t) = 0 + v(−∞) −∞ ≤ t ≤ 0
or
v(t) = 0 t ≤0
(Continued on next page)
222 CHAPTER 7 CAPACITORS AND INDUCTORS

If we now consider the time interval represented by the rectangular

pulse, we obtain
 t
1
v(t) = 20 × 10−3 dt  + v(0)
5 × 10−6 0
Since v(0) = 0,
v(t) = 4000t 0 ≤ t ≤ 2 ms

For the semi-infinite interval following the pulse, the integral of i(t)
is once again zero, so that
v(t) = 8 t ≥ 2 ms

The results are expressed much more simply in a sketch than by

v (t) (V) these analytical expressions, as shown in Fig. 7.5b.
2
P R ACTICE
●
7.2 Determine the current through a 100 pF capacitor if its voltage as a
t (ms)
–1 0 1 2 3 4 function of time is given by Fig. 7.6.
■ FIGURE 7.6 Ans: 0 A, −∞ ≤ t ≤ 1 ms; 200 nA, 1 ms ≤ t ≤ 2 ms; 0 A, t ≥ 2 ms.

Energy Storage
To determine the energy stored in a capacitor, we begin with the power
delivered to it:
dv
p = vi = Cv
dt
The change in energy stored in its electric field is simply
 t  t  v(t)
 dv  1  
p dt = C v  dt = C v  dv  = C [v(t)]2 − [v(t0 )]2
t0 t0 dt v(t0 ) 2
and thus
 
wC (t) − wC (t0 ) = 12 C [v(t)]2 − [v(t0 )]2 [3]
where the stored energy is wC (t0 ) in joules (J) and the voltage at t0 is v(t0 ).
If we select a zero-energy reference at t0 , implying that the capacitor volt-
age is also zero at that instant, then

wC (t) = 12 Cv 2 [4]

Let us consider a simple numerical example. As sketched in Fig. 7.7, a

sinusoidal voltage source is in parallel with a 1 M resistor and a 20 μF
capacitor. The parallel resistor may be assumed to represent the finite resis-
tance of the dielectric between the plates of the physical capacitor (an ideal
capacitor has infinite resistance).