FC312

PHYSICS
Theme: 4 Hour: 5 Electricity and Electronics
Module Learning Outcome Academic Literacy
Find capacitance and energy Use theoretical concepts to analyse real-world
stored in a capacitor practices. 
Apply in real-world contexts Develop ability to read, comprehend and express
mathematical arguments
Use subject-specific vocabulary effectively.
CAPACITANCE
 Outline (Hour 5)
• Capacitors and capacitance

• Energy in a capacitor

• Capacitors in combination

• RC circuits

• Ammeters and voltmeters

Capacitors: Energy and Combination
 Capacitors and Capacitance
• A capacitor is a device which stores electric charge Q between
two parallel plates.

• The unit of capacitance C is the Farad.

𝑸
• Capacitance 𝑪=
𝑽
• Capacitors are used as smoothing devices in power supplies,
typically up to a few thousand microfarads (μF).
• Supercapacitors based on nanotechnology are available up to hundreds of
Farads and have replaced batteries for energy storage in some applications.
 Capacitors
• The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is also given by:

• Capacitance depends on the area (A) of the parallel plates, and their
separation, d.

• εo is the permittivity of free space. By choosing a dielectric material with

a larger value of ε we can increase capacitance by a factor of Kεo where
K is the dielectric constant for a material.

• Kvacuum = 1, but Kwater = 80 for example.

 Energy in a Capacitor
• Electric potential energy
so it follows that the energy inside a capacitor is given by:
• =

• As a result, capacitors can be used to deliver large amounts of

energy, often over a short period of time.
– Capacitors dissipate lots of electrical power e.g. a camera flash or a
defibrillator machine.
• NOTE: capacitors can be dangerous!
 Capacitors in Combination
• Capacitors can also be
connected in series or in
parallel.

• When capacitors are

connected in parallel, the
potential difference across
each one is the same.
 Capacitors in Combination
• Therefore, the equivalent capacitance is the sum of the
individual capacitances:
 Capacitors in Combination
• Capacitors connected in
series do not have the same
potential difference across
them, but they do all carry
the same charge.

• The total potential difference

is the sum of the potential
differences across each
one.
 Capacitors in Combination
• Therefore, the equivalent capacitance is:

• Note that this equation gives you the inverse of the

capacitance, not the capacitance itself!
• Capacitors in series combine like resistors in parallel, and
vice versa.
 Ammeters & Voltmeters
• An ammeter is a device for measuring current, and a
voltmeter measures voltages.
• The current in the circuit must flow through the ammeter;
therefore the ammeter should have as low a resistance as
possible, for the least disturbance.
 Ammeters & Voltmeters
• A voltmeter measures the potential drop between two
points in a circuit.

• It therefore is
connected in
parallel; in order
to minimize the
effect on the
circuit, it should
have as large a
resistance as
possible.