Physics 202 Online

Lab 4 - Capacitors
Objective
• Learn how a capacitor’s capacitance varies with area of plates and separation between plates.
• Determine the effects of a dielectric between the capacitor plates in terms of capacitance, stored
charge, and stored energy.
• Analyze circuits with capacitors in series, parallel and in combination.

Background Capacitors hold charge and can be charged and discharged. When a capacitor is charged
it is like a battery, with an electric field and an electric potential (voltage) between the two plates.
Capacitors
$ ∆(
Electric field in Capacitor (V/m): 𝐸!"# = % =
!& )

Charge on Capacitor (C): Q = C DVc

%! &
Capacitance (F): 𝐶* = )
d = plate separation, A = Surface area plate
+!
Capacitor with dielectric: C = kCo 𝐸= ,
- - $"
Energy Stored in Capacitor (J): 𝑈! = . 𝐶∆𝑉 . = . /

Capacitors in series

1
𝐶01 =
1 1 1
+ +
𝐶- 𝐶. 𝐶2

Capacitors in parallel

𝐶01 = 𝐶- + 𝐶. + 𝐶2
Physics 202 Online

Lab Requirements

• Computer with connection to the internet with one of the following browsers with Java: Chrome,
Firefox, Safari
• For mac computers, you may have to go into System Preferences/Security & Privacy/General and
then click on “Allow apps downloaded from: App Store and identified developers”. Once you
attempt download, go back into System Preferences/Security & Privacy/General and click on “Open
Anyway”

• For PC users, if you cannot get the simulation to run, try the instructions in this link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/help-center/running-sims/windows#q20-header

Instructions
Go to the link https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/capacitor-lab
Click on the simulation.
For all calculations in this lab, show work on a separate piece of paper and submit with the lab report.
Experiment 1 – Capacitance with no dielectric
1. At the top of the screen click the “Introduction” Tab.

2. Under “View” make sure that “Plate Charges” is clicked. This will show the charges on the plate.

3. Under “Meters” click on “Plate Charge” This will show the amount of charge on the plates.

4. Click on the “Separation” green double arrow and make it the smallest value, 5.0 mm.

5. Click on the “Plate Area” green double arrow and make it the smallest value, 100.0 mm2.

6. Set the Battery to +1.5 Volts.

7. Use the table below to record all your calculated and measured values.

Surface Calculated Calculated Calculated Measured Measured Measured

Separation
Area Capacitance Plate Charge Energy Capacitance Plate Charge Energy
(mm)
(mm2) (F) (C) (J) (F) (C) (J)
5.0 100.0

10.0 100.0

5.0 400.0
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8. Use the equations in the Background to calculate the capacitance, charge, and energy stored of this
capacitor and write it in the table under “Calculated Capacitance”, “Calculated Plate Charge” and
“Calculated Energy”, respectively. Remember to convert mm and mm2 to m and m2 before doing
the calculations.

9. Under “Meters” now click on “Capacitance”, “Plate Charge” and “Stored Energy”. These are the
measured values from the simulation. Write these values in the table.

10. Compare the calculated values of capacitance, charge and stored energy to the measured values.
Are they the same? If they are not, review your calculations.

11. Click on the green double arrow for changing the separation and change it to the maximum value,
10.0 mm.

12. Calculate the Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy below and record it in the table.

13. Record in the table the Measured Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy from the
simulation.

14. Compare the values to the calculated values. Are they the same? If they are not the same, review
your calculations.

15. Click on the green double arrow for changing the separation and return it to 5.0 mm. Then click on
the green double arrow for the Plate Area and change it to the maximum value, 400.0 mm2.

16. Calculate the Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy below and record it in the table.

17. Record in the table the Measured Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy from the
simulation.

18. Compare the values to the calculated values. Are they the same? If they are not the same, review
your calculations.

19. What happens to the capacitance, plate charge and stored energy when the Capacitor plate
separation is increased? Explain why.

20. What happens to the capacitance, plate charge and stored energy when the Capacitor plate surface
area is increased? Explain why.
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Experiment 2 - Capacitance with dielectric

21. At the top of the screen click “Dielectric” Tab.

22. Under “View” make sure that “Plate Charges” is clicked.

23. Under “Meters” click on “Capacitance”, “Plate Charge” and “Stored Energy”.

24. The dielectric is the yellow box next to the capacitor. Move the dielectric to the left so that it is
completely in between the two plates of the capacitor.

25. Under “Dielectric” set “Material” to Custom and the “Dielectric Constant” to 1.0, which sets the
material in between the plates to air.

26. Click on the “Separation” green double arrow and make it the smallest value, 5.0 mm.

27. Click on the “Plate Area” green double arrow and make it the smallest value, 100.0 mm2.

28. Set the Battery to +1.5 Volts.

Measured Measured Measured

Dielectric
Material Capacitance Plate Charge Energy
Constant
(F) (C) (J)
air 1.0
Teflon 2.1
Glass 4.7

29. Record the Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy in the table.

30. Under “Dielectric” set “Material” to Teflon which has a dielectric constant of 2.1 and record the
Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy in the table.

31. Under “Dielectric” set “Material” to Glass which has a dielectric constant of 2.1 and record the
Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy in the table.

32. How does the Capacitance, Plate Charge and Stored Energy change with increasing dielectric
constant? Explain why this occurs using the idea of Charge Polarization as discussed in class.
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Experiment 3 - Series Capacitor Circuits

33. At the top of the screen click “Multiple Capacitors” Tab.

34. Under “View” make sure that “Plate Charges” is clicked.

35. Under “Meters” click on “Total Capacitance” and “Stored Charge”.

36. Under “Circuits” select “3 in Series” to get 3 capacitors.

37. Set the battery to +1.5 Volts.

38. Set the capacitor values as specified in the table below.

Capacitance (F) DV (Volts) Stored Charge (C)

Circuit Ceq = 1.5 V Qtotal =
C1 2.0 x 10-13 F
C2 1.5 x 10-13 F
C3 2.5 x 10-13 F

39. In the table, record the total charge supplied by the battery from the simulation under “Stored
Charge” Qtotal.

40. Calculate the equivalent capacitance and enter it in to the table under Ceq. Does it match the
Measured Total Capacitance from the simulation? If it does not, check your calculations.

41. Take the Voltmeter from the “Meters” section and measure the voltage across each capacitor and
record it in the table. See picture below.

42. From the equation in the Background, calculate the charge

on each capacitor and record it in the table under “Stored
Charge”

43. Do the voltages add up to the voltage of the battery?

Explain why this is the case.

44. Compare the total charge stored to the charge on each capacitor. Explain why this occurs.
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Experiment 4 - Parallel Capacitor Circuits

45. Press the “Reset All” button.

46. Under “Circuits” select “3 in Parallel” to get 3 capacitors.

47. Set the battery to +1.5 Volts.

48. Set the capacitor values as specified in the table below.

Capacitance (F) DV (Volts) Stored Charge (C)

Circuit Ceq = 1.5 V Qtotal =
C1 2.0 x 10-13 F
C2 1.5 x 10-13 F
C3 2.5 x 10-13 F

49. In the table, record the total charge supplied by the battery from the simulation under “Stored
Charge” Qtotal.

50. Calculate the equivalent capacitance and enter it in to the table under Ceq. Does it match the
Measured Total Capacitance from the simulation? If it does not, check your calculations.

51. Take the Voltmeter from the “Meters” section and measure the voltage across each capacitor and
record it in the table.

52. From the equation in the Background, calculate the charge on each capacitor and record it in the
table.

53. Is the voltage across each capacitor equal to the battery voltage? Explain why this the case.

54. Verify that the sum of the charges of the capacitors add up to the Total Charge? Explain why this
is so.
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Experiment 5 - Combination Capacitor Circuits

55. Press the “Reset All” button.

56. Under “Circuits” select “2 in series + 1 in Parallel” to get 3 capacitors.

57. Set the battery to +1.5 Volts.

58. Set the capacitor values as specified in the table below.

Capacitance (F) DV (Volts) Stored Charge (C)

Circuit Ceq = 1.5 V Qtotal =
C1 2.0 x 10-13 F
C2 1.5 x 10-13 F
C3 2.5 x 10-13 F

59. In the table, record the total charge supplied by the battery from the simulation under “Stored
Charge” Qtotal.

60. Calculate the equivalent capacitance and enter it in the table under Ceq. Does it match the
Measured Total Capacitance from the simulation? If it does not, check your calculations.

61. Take the Voltmeter from the “Meters” section and measure the voltage across each capacitor and
record it in the table.

62. From the equation in the Background, calculate the charge on each capacitor and record it in the
table.

63. Verify that DV1 + DV2 = DVbat and DV3 = DVbat. Explain why this is the case.

64. Verify that Q1 = Q2, Q1 + Q3 = Qtotal and Q2 + Q3 = Qtotal Explain why this is the case.