Capacitance

LECTURER
MR. M C Zulu
 CAPACITANCE
 Capacitors are important components of electrical circuits in many electronic
devices, including pacemakers, cell phones, and computers. In this chapter, we
study their properties, and, over the next few chapters, we examine their
function in combination with other circuit elements.
 CAPACITORS AND CAPACITANCE
 A capacitor is a device used to store electrical charge and
electrical energy.
 It consists of at least two electrical conductors separated by a
distance.
 The space between capacitors may simply be a vacuum, and, in
that case, a capacitor is then known as a “vacuum
capacitor.” However, the space is usually filled with an
insulating material known as a dielectric.
 The amount of storage in a capacitor is determined by a
property called capacitance.
 A system composed of two identical parallel-conducting plates
separated by a distance is called a parallel-plate capacitor
 CAPACITORS AND CAPACITANCE CONT.
 The capacitance C of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the maximum charge
Q that can be stored in a capacitor to the applied voltage V across its plates.
 In other words, capacitance is the largest amount of charge per volt that can be
stored on the device:
Q
C
V
 The SI unit of capacitance is the farad ( F )

1C
1F 
1V
 PARALLEL-PLATE CAPACITOR
 The parallel-plate capacitor has two identical
conducting plates, each having a surface area
A, separated by a distance d.
 The capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor
is given by the equation
Q A
C   0
V d
 Notice from this equation that capacitance is
a function only of the geometry and what
material fills the space between the plates (in
this case, vacuum) of this capacitor.
 EXAMPLE

 What is the capacitance of an empty parallel-plate capacitor with metal plates

that each have an area of 1.00𝑚2 , separated by 1.00 mm?
 How much charge is stored in this capacitor if a voltage of 3.00 × 103 𝑉 is
applied to it?
 EXAMPLE CONT.

 Solution
 Entering the given values into Equation yields

 
 
2
A F  1.00m
C   0  8.85  1012   9
F  8.85nF
m 1.00  103 m 
8.85 10
d  
 Using equation for capacitance and entering the known values into this
equation gives
Q  CV   8.85  10 F  3.00  10 V   26.6  C
9 3
 CAPACITORS IN SERIES
 All capacitors of a series combination have
the same charge
Q1  Q2  Q3
 However, the potential drop on one
capacitor may be different from the
potential drop of another capacitor.
V  V1  V2  V3
 The equivalent capacitance, CS , of three capacitors connected in series
1 1 1 1
  
Ceq C1 C2 C3
 EXAMPLE

 Find the total capacitance for three capacitors connected in series, given their
individual capacitances are 2.000μF , 8.000μF , and 10.000μF

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
       0.725
Ceq C1 C2 C3 2.000  F 8.000  F 10.000  F
1
Ceq   1.400  F
0.725
 TASK

 Find the total capacitance for three capacitors connected in series,

given their individual capacitances are 4.000μF , 10.000μF , and
15.000μF
 PARALLEL COMBINATION OF CAPACITORS

 When the capacitors are connected in parallel, they all have the same voltage V
across their plates. V1  V2  V3
 However, each capacitor in the parallel network may store a different charge.

Q  Q1  Q2  Q3
 The equivalent capacitance, CS , of three capacitors connected in parallel

Ceq  C1  C2  C3  ........
 EXAMPLE

 Find the net capacitance for three capacitors connected in parallel,

given their individual capacitances are 2.000μF , 8.000μF , and
10.000μF

Ceq  C1  C2  C3  2.000  F  8.000  F  10.000  F  20.000  F

 EQUIVALENT CAPACITANCE OF A NETWORK

 Capacitor networks are usually some combination of series and parallel connections. To
find the net capacitance of such combinations, we identify parts that contain only series
or only parallel connections, and find their equivalent capacitances.
 EXAMPLE
 Determine the net capacitance C of the capacitor combination shown in the
Figure bellow when the capacitances are 𝐶1 = 12.0𝜇𝐹, 𝐶2 = 2.0𝜇𝐹 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶3 =
4.0𝜇𝐹
 When a 12.0-V potential difference is maintained across the combination, find
the charge and the voltage across each capacitor.
 EXAMPLE CONT.

The equivalent capacitance for 𝐶2 and 𝐶3

C23  C2  C3  2.0  F  4.0  F  6.0  F

The entire three-capacitor combination is equivalent to two capacitors in series,

1 1 1
   4.0  F
C 12.0  F 6.0  F
 EXAMPLE CONT.

In the final to capacitors are in series

Q1 Q23 Q1 Q1
12.0V  V1  V23      Q1  48.0  F
C1 C23 12.0  F 6.0  F
Now the potential difference across capacitor 1 is
Q 1 48.0  F
V1    4.0V
C1 12.0  F
Because capacitors 2 and 3 are connected in parallel, they are at the
same potential difference
V2  V3  12.0V  4.0V  8.0V
 EXAMPLE CONT.
 Hence, the charges on these two capacitors are, respectively
Q2  C2V2  (2.0  F )(8.0V )  16.0  C
Q3  C3V3  (4.0  F )(8.0  F )  32.0  C
 TASK

 Find the net capacitance for three capacitors connected in parallel,

given their individual capacitances are 4.000μF , 10.000μF , and
15.000μF
 TASK
 Determine the net capacitance C of each network of capacitors shown below.
Assume that 𝐶1 = 1.0𝑝𝐹, 𝐶2 = 2.0𝑝𝐹, 𝐶3 = 4.0𝑝𝐹 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶4 = 5.0𝑝𝐹
 Find the charge on each capacitor, assuming there is a potential difference of
12.0 V across each network.
 ENERGY STORED IN A CAPACITOR
 The energy 𝑈𝐶 stored in a capacitor is
electrostatic potential energy and is thus
related to the charge Q and voltage V between
the capacitor plates.
 A charged capacitor stores energy in the
electrical field between its plates.
 As the capacitor is being charged, the electrical
field builds up.
 The energy 𝑈𝐶 stored in a capacitor is given
by the equation; 1 2 1Q 1 2
UC  V C   QV
2 2 C 2
EXAMPLE

 Calculate the energy stored in the capacitor network in the Figure

below when the capacitors are fully charged and when the capacitances
are 𝐶2 = 12.0𝜇𝐹, 𝐶2 = 2.0𝜇𝐹 , and 𝐶3 = 4.0𝜇𝐹, respectively.
EXAMPLE CONT.

 We find the energy 𝑈1 , 𝑈2 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑈3 stored in capacitors 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The

total energy is the sum of all these energies.
 We identify 𝐶1 = 12.0𝜇𝐹 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉1 = 4.0𝑉, 𝐶2 = 2.0𝜇𝐹 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉2 = 8.0𝑉, 𝐶3 =
4.0𝜇𝐹 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉3 = 8.0𝑉
 . The energies stored in these capacitors are
 EXAMPLE CONT.
 The energies stored in these capacitors are
1 2 1
U1  V C  12.0  F  4.0   96  J
2

2 2
1 2 1
U 2  V C   2.0  F  8.0V   64  J
2

2 2
1 2 1
U 3  V C   4.0  F  8.0V   130  J
2

2 2
 The total energy stored in this network is

U C  U1  U 2  U 3  96  J  64  J  130  F  0.29mJ
TASK

 The potential difference across a 5.0𝑝𝐹 capacitor is 0.40 V.

 (a) What is the energy stored in this capacitor?
 (b) The potential difference is now increased to 1.20 V. By what factor is the
stored energy increased?
 TASK

 A heart defibrillator delivers 4.00 × 102 J of energy by discharging a capacitor initially at

1.00 × 104 𝑉 . What is its capacitance
End pf Lecture Part 19 part 3