CAPACITANCE &

DIELECTRICS
(Chapter 4)
• Capacitance and Capacitors
• ,Combinations of Capacitors
- Series Combinations
- Parallel Combinations
• Dielectrics and Dielectric Constant
Capacitor – (condenser) a system of conductors that can store electric
charges and EPE. Often, it consists of two conducting
plates/surfaces separated by an insulator or non-conductor
dielectrics.
Some Common
Examples:
1. Parallel-plate (air/vacuum) capacitor –common type
2. Ceramic/mylar capacitor – preferred for tone control or timing
circuits because of its low tolerance and better temperature
stability.
3. Electrolytic (same principle w/ (1.)) capacitor – known for its large
tolerance and high leakage current making them practically
unsuited for timing applications. This is often used as filter capacitors in
power supply filter circuit.
 The amount of charge that can be placed on a capacitor is
proportional to the voltage pushing the charge onto the positive plate.
The larger the potential difference between the plates, the more charge
stored on the plates.

hence Vab α Q
But,
Ratio of Q to Vab don’t change,
i.e.
Q α Vab
 hence, greater C means greater Q on each plate for a given Vab and

Therefore, greater amount of stored energy (EPE), and so

 Parallel-Plate Capacitor in Vacuum

From: Gauss’s Law

i.e.: C αA
3) The plates of a parallel-plate capacitor are 4mm apart and each
carries a charge Q = 5.0x10-8C. The plates are in a vacuum. The E
= 4x106 V/m between the plates. Find
a.) the potential difference between plates.
b.) the area of each plate.
c.) the capacitance of the capacitor.
 Units of Capacitance

2. Given these expressions, and 0 = 8.85 x 1012 C2/N∙m2,

what are the units of capacitance?
0 A L ab
C C  2 0 C  4 0 C  4 0 R
d ln(b / a) ba
A. The units are different in the different expressions.
B. The units are C2/N∙m2.
C. The units are C2/N∙m.
D. The units are C2/N.
E. The units are C/V.

October 10, 2007

 Electric Circuits – closed path of conductors, usually wires
connecting capacitors/other devices, in which Q
can flow and which includes a source such as
battery which represents a potential difference.

Equivalent Capacitance, C – the capacitance of the combined

capacitors equivalent to a single
capacitor in a circuit.

ors in Combination:
1. Capacitors in Parallel
 No difference between

3C

and

V
C C C
n
Ceq   C j
Capacitors in parallel: j 1

October 10, 2007

 Capacitors in Series
 There is a difference between and

C
3C

C
 Charge on lower plate of one
and upper plate of next are
equal and opposite. (show by
gaussian surface around the two
plates).
n
1 1
Capacitors in series: C   C
 Total charge is q, but voltage on
each is only V/3.
eq j 1 j

October 10, 2007

2. Capacitors in Series
 To see the series formula, consider the
individual voltages across each capacitor

q q q
V1  , V2  , V3 
C1 C2 C3
 The sum of these voltages is the total
voltage of the battery, V

q q q
V  V1  V2  V3   
C1 C2 C3
 Since V/q = 1/Ceq, we have

V 1 1 1 1
   
q Ceq C1 C2 C3

October 10, 2007

Three Capacitors in Series

3. The equivalent capacitance for two capacitors

in series is . Ceq  1 1 1  C1C2
C  C C1  C2
What is the equivalent capacitance for three
1 2

capacitors in series?
A. C1C2C3
Ceq  C1  C2  C3
C1  C2  C3 D. Ceq 
C1C2C3
B. C1C2  C2C3  C1C3
Ceq  C1C2C3
C1  C2  C3 E. Ceq 
C1C2  C2C3  C3C1
C. C1C2  C2C3  C3C1
Ceq 
C1C2C3

October 10, 2007

Example: Capacitor Circuit

C1 = 12.0 F, C2 = 5.3 F, C3 = 4.5 F

Step 1 Step 2

C1 C2 C12
parallel
V V series V C123

C3 C3

1 1 1 C12C3
C12  C1  C2   C123 
C123 C12 C3 C12  C3

C123 = (12 + 5.3)4.5/(12+5.3+4.5) F = 3.57 F

October 10, 2007

Example

parallel
C4 C6 C1456  C1  C45  C6
C1 C45 C6
C5
V series
CC
C2 C3 C45  4 5
C3 C 4  C5
C3

parallel
C23  C2  C3

October 10, 2007

Example C45 
C 4 C5
C 4  C5

C1456  C1  C45  C6
C23  C2  C3

C1456C23
C123456 
C1456 C1456  C23
series
V
C C
C123456  1456 23
C23 C1456  C23

Complete solution
 CC 
 C1  4 5  C6 (C2  C3 )
C 4  C5
C123456   
CC
C1  4 5  C6  C2  C3
C4  C5

October 10, 2007

Series or Parallel
4. In the circuits below, which ones show
capacitors 1 and 2 in series?
C2 C3

C1 II
A. I, II, III I
C1
V V
B. I, III C3 C2
C. II, IV C1
D. III, IV
E. None C3 V
III C1 C2 IV C3
C2
V

October 10, 2007

Electric Energy Stored in a Capacitor
 Energy stored = W done to charge a capacitor (or W done
to move each e-)
- W is req’d. to move and build up Qs on the plate due
to electrostatic repulsion of same sign Qs.

 To store QT :
 To store QT :

 Energy Stored then →

From: Q = CV
Energy Stored in Electric Field
 What Changes?
5. A parallel plate capacitor is connected to a battery of
voltage V. If the plate separation is decreased, which
of the following increase?

A. II, III and IV. I. Capacitance of capacitor

B. I, IV, V and VI. II. Voltage across capacitor
C. I, II and III.
III. Charge on capacitor
D. All except II.
E. All increase. IV. Energy stored on capacitor

 A V. Electric field magnitude

q  CV C 0 between plates
d
VI. Energy density of E field
U  12 CV 2 u  12  0 E 2

October 10, 2007

DIELECTRICS
- Solid insulating sheet of non-conducting materials placed
between the conducting plates instead of a vacuum (i.e. glass,
paper, paraffin, plastic)
Serves 3 Functions:
1. Solve the mechanical problem of maintaining two large metal
sheets at a very small separation without actual contact
2. Decrease the maximum possible potential difference between
the capacitor plates hence increases the capacitance.
3. Tolerate stronger electric fields without breakdown than air can.
 Dielectric Constant, K

where:
C ⟶ with dielectrics
Co ⟶ without dielectrics
 The insertion of dielectric between the plates of a parallel-
plates capacitor causes the potential difference Vo
between the plates to decrease (drop) to V by a factor of
V0
K
V
The 𝐸ሬԦbetween the capacitor plates is reduced by the presence of the dielectric because the
induced surface charges on the dielectric cause an electric field in the opposite direction of the
original field in the charged capacitor. These fields tend to cancel each other resulting in a
reduction of the original field.
E0
E
K
 Summary on what dielectrics do?
 A dielectric material is made of molecules.
 Polar dielectrics already have a dipole moment (like
the water molecule).
 Non-polar dielectrics are not naturally polar, but
actually stretch in an electric field, to become polar.
 The molecules of the dielectric align with the applied
electric field in a manner to oppose the electric field.
 This reduces the electric field, so that the net electric
field is less than it was for a given charge on the
plates.
 This lowers the potential (case b of the previous
slide).
 If the plates are attached to a battery (case a of the
previous slide), more charge has to flow onto the
plates.

October 10, 2007

Two identical parallel plate capacitors are connected in
series to a battery as shown below. If a dielectric is inserted
in the lower capacitor, which of the following increase for
that capacitor?

A.I and III. I. Capacitance of capacitor

B.I, II and IV. II. Voltage across capacitor
C.I, II and III. III. Charge on capacitor
D.All except II.
IV. Energy stored on capacitor
E.All increase.

 0 A q2 1 C
q  CV C U  2 CV 2 V
d 2C
 C

October 10, 2007

Examples (G):

1) A camera flash unit stores energy in 150µF capacitor at 200-V.

How much electric energy can be stored?

3) Two capacitors of C1 = 10 µF and C2 = 20 µF across a 12-V battery.

Compare their energies when the capacitors are in:
a) Series b) Parallel
4) The parallel-plate capacitor of area A = 2000cm2 and 1cm apart has
an original potential of Vo = 3000V and decreases to 1000V. When
sheet of dielectric is inserted between the plates.
Determine:
a) The original capacitance
b) The charge on each plate
c) The capacitance after insertion of dielectric
d) The dielectric constant of the dielectric
e) ε of the dieletric
f) induced Qi on each face of dielectric
g) Eo between plates
h) E with dielectric