Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya
College of Engineering
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.9:EE 1B-1S-2021-2022

College: Engineering
Campus: Bambang

DEGREE Bachelor of Science in COURSE NO. EE1B

PROGRAM Mechanical Engineering
SPECIALIZATION COURSE TITLE Basic Electrical Engineering
YEAR LEVEL 2 TIME FRAME 10Hr WK NO. 11-12 IM NO. 09
s

I. UNIT TITLE/CHAPTER TITLE

Chapter 11. Capacitor

II. LESSON TITLE

Capacitance

III. LESSON OVERVIEW

Capacitors and Capacitance; Capacitors in Series and in Parallel; Energy Stored in a

Capacitor; Capacitor with a Dielectric.

IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Explain the concepts of a capacitor and its capacitance

2. Describe how to evaluate the capacitance of a system of conductors
3. Explain how to determine the equivalent capacitance of capacitors in series and in parallel
combinations
4. Compute the potential difference across the plates and the charge on the plates for a
capacitor in a network and determine the net capacitance of a network of capacitor
5. Explain how energy is stored in a capacitor
6. Use energy relations to determine the energy stored in a capacitor network

V. LESSON CONTENT

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. By themselves,
capacitors are often used to store electrical energy and release it when needed; with other circuit
components, capacitors often act as part of a filter that allows some electrical signals to pass while
blocking others. You can see why capacitors are considered one of the fundamental components of
electrical circuits.

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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. (Note that such electrical conductors are sometimes
referred to as “electrodes,” but more correctly, they are “capacitor plates.”) 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.
Capacitors have applications ranging from filtering static from radio reception to energy storage in
heart defibrillators. Typically, commercial capacitors have two conducting parts close to one another but
not touching, such as those in Figure 1. Most of the time, a dielectric is used between the two plates.
When battery terminals are connected to an initially uncharged capacitor, the battery potential moves a
small amount of charge of magnitude Q from the positive plate to the negative plate. The capacitor
remains neutral overall, but with charges + Q and − Q residing on opposite plates.

Figure 1 Both capacitors shown here were initially uncharged before being connected to a battery. They now have
charges of + Q and − Q (respectively) on their plates. (a) A parallel-plate capacitor consists of two plates of
opposite charge with area A separated bydistance d. (b) A rolled capacitor has a dielectric material between its two
conducting sheets (plates).

A system composed of two identical parallel-conducting plates separated by a distance is called a

parallel plate capacitor (Figure 2). The magnitude of the electrical field in the space between the parallel

plates is E = , where  denotes the surface charge density on one plate (recall that σ is the charge
0
Q per the surface area A ). Thus, the magnitude of the field is directly proportional to Q .

Figure 2 The charge separation in a capacitor shows that the charges remain on the surfaces ofnthe capacitor
plates. Electrical field lines in a parallel-plate capacitor begin with positive charges and end with negative charges.
The magnitude of the electrical field in the space between the plates is in direct proportion to the amount of charge
on the capacitor.
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Capacitors with different physical characteristics (such as shape and size of their plates) store
different amounts of charge for the same applied voltage across their plates. 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= (1)
V
The SI unit of capacitance is the farad ( F ), named after Michael Faraday (1791–1867). Since
capacitance is the charge per unit voltage, one farad is one coulomb per one volt, or

1C
1F =
1V
By definition, a 1.0F capacitor is able to store of charge (a very large amount of charge) when the potential
difference between its plates is only 1.0V . One farad is therefore a very large capacitance. Typical
capacitance values range from picofarads ( 1 pF = 10−12 F ) to millifarads ( 1mF = 10 −3 F ), which also
includes microfarads ( 1F = 10−6 F ). Capacitors can be produced in various shapes and sizes

Figure 3 These are some typical capacitors used in electronic devices. A capacitor’s size is not
necessarily related to its capacitance value.

Parallel-Plate Capacitor
The parallel-plate capacitor (Figure 4) has two identical conducting plates, each having a surface area
A , separated by a distance d . When a voltage V is applied to the capacitor, it stores a charge , as
shown. We can see how its capacitance may depend on A and d by considering characteristics of
the Coulomb force. We know that force between the charges increases with charge values and decreases
with the distance between them. We should expect that the bigger the plates are, the more charge they
can store. Thus, C should be greater for a larger value of . Similarly, the closer the plates are together,
the greater the attraction of the opposite charges on them. Therefore, C should be greater for a smaller
d .

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Figure 4 In a parallel-plate capacitor with plates separated by a distance d , each plate has the
same surface area A .

We define the surface charge density σσ on the plates as

Q
 =
A
When d is small, the electrical field between the plates is fairly uniform (ignoring edge effects) and that
its magnitude is given by


E=
0

where the constant  0 s the permittivity of free space  0 = 8.85x10−12 F , . The SI unit of F is
m m
C2
equivalent to . Since the electrical field  between the plates is uniform, the potential difference
N * m2
between the plates is

d Qd
V = Ed = =
0 0 A
Therefore Equation below gives the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor as

Q Q A
C= = = 0
V Qd d
0 A
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. In fact, this is true not only for a parallel-
plate capacitor, but for all capacitors: The capacitance is independent of Q or V . If the charge
changes, the potential changes correspondingly so that remains constant.

Example 1.

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a) What is the capacitance of an empty parallel-plate capacitor with metal plates that each have
an area of 1.00m 2 , separated by 1.0mm ? (b) How much charge is stored in this capacitor if a
voltage of is 3.00x103 V applied to it?
Solution:
a. For the capacitance

A 1.00m 2
C = 0 = (8.85x10−12 F ) −3
= 8.85x10 −9 F = 8.85nF
d m 1.00x10 m
b. For the value of charge

Q = CV = 8.85x10−9 x3.00x103 V = 26.6C

Example 2.
Suppose you wish to construct a parallel-plate capacitor with a capacitance of 1.0 F. What area
must you use for each plate if the plates are separated by 1.00mm?
Solution:

A Cd (1.0F )(1.0 x10−3 )

C = 0  A = = = 1.1x108 m 2
d 0 8.85x10 −12 F
m
Capacitors in Series and in Parallel
Several capacitors can be connected together to be used in a variety of applications. Multiple
connections of capacitors behave as a single equivalent capacitor. The total capacitance of this
equivalent single capacitor depends both on the individual capacitors and how they are connected.
Capacitors can be arranged in two simple and common types of connections, known as series and
parallel, for which we can easily calculate the total capacitance. These two basic combinations, series
and parallel, can also be used as part of more complex connections.

The Series Combination of Capacitors

Figure 5 illustrates a series combination of three capacitors, arranged in a row within the circuit. As
for any capacitor, the capacitance of the combination is related to the charge and voltage by using
Equation 1. When this series combination is connected to a battery with voltage V, each of the capacitors
acquires an identical charge Q . To explain, first note that the charge on the plate connected to the
positive terminal of the battery is + Q and the charge on the plate connected to the negative terminal is
− Q . Charges are then induced on the other plates so that the sum of the charges on all plates, and the
Q
sum of charges on any pair of capacitor plates, is zero. However, the potential drop V1 = on one
C1
Q
capacitor may be different from the potential drop V2 = on another capacitor, because, generally, the
C2
capacitors may have different capacitances. The series combination of two or three capacitors resembles
a single capacitor with a smaller capacitance. Generally, any number of capacitors connected in series
is equivalent to one capacitor whose capacitance (called the equivalent capacitance) is smaller than the
smallest of the capacitances in the series combination. Charge on this equivalent capacitor is the same
as the charge on any capacitor in a series combination: That is, all capacitors of a series combination
have the same charge. This occurs due to the conservation of charge in the circuit. When a charge Q

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in a series circuit is removed from a plate of the first capacitor (which we denote as − Q ), it must be
placed on a plate of the second capacitor (which we denote as + Q ), and so on.

Figure 5 (a) Three capacitors are connected in series. The magnitude of the charge on each plate is . (b) The
network of capacitors in (a) is equivalent to one capacitor that has a smaller capacitance than any of the individual
capacitances in (a), and the charge on its plates is

We can find an expression for the total (equivalent) capacitance by considering the voltages across
the individual capacitors. The potentials across capacitors 1 ,2 , 3 and are, respectively

Q Q Q
V1 = , V2 = , V3 =
C1 C2 C3

These potentials must sum up to the voltage of the battery, giving the following potential balance:

V = V1 + V2 + V3

Potential V is measured across an equivalent capacitor that holds charge Q and has an equivalent
capacitance . Entering the expressions for V1 V 2 , V3 , and , we get

Q Q Q Q
= + +
C s C1 C 2 C3

Canceling the charge Q , we obtain an expression containing the equivalent capacitance, C s , of three
capacitors connected in series:

1 1 1 1
= + + .. (2)
C s C1 C 2 C3

Example:
Find the total capacitance for three capacitors connected in series, given their individual
capacitances are 3F ,2 F and 6 F .

Solution:

1
CS = = 1F
1 1 1
+ +
3x10−3 F 2 x10−3 F 6 x10−3 F

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The Parallel Combination of Capacitors
A parallel combination of three capacitors, with one plate of each capacitor connected to one side of
the circuit and the other plate connected to the other side, is illustrated in Figure 6(a).

Figure 6 (a) Three capacitors are connected in parallel. Each capacitor is connected directly to the battery. (b)
The charge on the equivalent capacitor is the sum of the charges on the individual capacitors.

Since the capacitors are connected in parallel, they all have the same voltage V across their plates.
However, each capacitor in the parallel network may store a different charge. To find the equivalent
capacitance C p of the parallel network, we note that the total charge Q stored by the network is the
sum of all the individual charges:

Q = Q1 + Q2 + Q3 but Q = C pV

Therefore

C pV = C1V + C2V + C3V

This equation, when simplified, is the expression for the equivalent capacitance of the parallel network of
three capacitors:

C p = C1 + C2 + C3

Example:
Find the total capacitance for three capacitors connected in parallel, given their individual
capacitances are 3F ,2 F and 6 F .

Solution

C p = C1 +C 2 +C3 = 3F + 2F + 6F = 11F

Capacitor networks are usually some combination of series and parallel connections, as shown in
Figure 7. To find the net capacitance of such combinations, we identify parts that contain only series or
only parallel connections, and find their equivalent capacitances. We repeat this process until we can

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determine the equivalent capacitance of the entire network. The following example illustrates this
process.

C1 and C2 are in series;

Figure 7 (a) This circuit contains both series and parallel connections of capacitors. (b)
their equivalent capacitance is C s . (c) The equivalent capacitance C s is connected in parallel with C 3 . Thus,
the equivalent capacitance of the entire network is the sum of C s and C 3 .

Example
Find the total capacitance of the combination of capacitors shown in Figure c.
Solution

1
CT = + 8F = 8.833F
1 1
+
1F 5F

Example:
Determine the net capacitance of the capacitor combination shown in Figure below when the
capacitances are C1 = 12F , C2 = 2F , C3 = 4F . When a 12V potential difference is maintained
across the combination, find the charge and the voltage across each capacitor..

Solution:
i. Net capacitance,

C 23 = C 2 + C3 = 2F + 4F = 6F

1
Cn = = 4F
1 1
+
12F 6F

ii. Since C1 is in series with C 23 , their charge is the same Q1 = Q23 , therefore

Q Q Q Q1 Q
VT = V1 + V2 but V = then 12 = 1 + 23 = + 1
C C1 C 23 12F 6F

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12
Therefore Q1 = = 48F = Q23
1 1
+
12F 6F

And the potential difference across C1

Q1 48F
V1 = = = 4V
C1 12F

V2 = V3 = 12 − 4 = 8V

The charges Q2 and Q3

Q2 = C2V2 = (2F )(8V ) = 16C and Q3 = C3V3 = (4F )(8V ) = 32C

Q23 = Q2 + Q3 = 16 + 32 = 48C

Energy Stored in a Capacitor

Most of us have seen dramatizations of medical personnel using a defibrillator to pass an electrical
current through a patient’s heart to get it to beat normally. Often realistic in detail, the person applying
the shock directs another person to “make it 400 joules this time.” The energy delivered by the defibrillator
is stored in a capacitor and can be adjusted to fit the situation. SI units of joules are often employed. Less
dramatic is the use of capacitors in microelectronics to supply energy when batteries are charged (figure
8 ). Capacitors are also used to supply energy for flash lamps on cameras.

Figure 7 The capacitors on the circuit board for an electronic device follow a labeling convention that identifies
each one with a code that begins with the letter “C.”

The energy U C 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. When a charged
capacitor is disconnected from a battery, its energy remains in the field in the space between its plates.

To gain insight into how this energy may be expressed (in terms of Q and V ), consider a charged,
empty, parallelplate capacitor; that is, a capacitor without a dielectric but with a vacuum between its
plates. The space between its plates has a volume Ad , and it is filled with a uniform electrostatic field
E . The total energy U C of the capacitor is contained within this space. The energy density uE in this
space is simply U C divided by the volume Ad . If we know the energy density, the energy can be found
1 1 Q2 1
as U c = u E ( Ad ) . U c = V 2C = = QV
2 2 C 2

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Example:
Calculate the energy stored in the capacitor network below when the capacitors are fully charged
and when the capacitances are C1 = 12F , C2 = 2F , C3 = 4F and respectively.

Solution:

Same solution in getting for the value of the charges Q and voltages V in above example.

V1 = 4V ; V2 = 8V

Therefore the energy stored in these capacitors

1 2 1
U 1 = V1 C1 = (12F )(4.0V ) 2 = 96J
2 2

1 2 1
U 2 = V2 C 2 = (2 F )(8.0V ) 2 = 64J
2 2

1 2 1
U 3 = V3 C 3 = ( 4 F )(8.0V ) 2 = 130J
2 2

The total energy stored in the network

U c = U 1 + U 2 + U 3 = 96J + 64J + 130J = 0.29mJ

Considering the total capacitance and the total potential

1 1
Uc = C pVT = (4 F )(12V ) 2 = 0.29mJ
2

2 2

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VI. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. What charge is stored in a 180F capacitor when 120 Vis applied to it?
2. Calculate the voltage applied to a 2.0 µF capacitor when it holds 3.0µC of charge.
3. Find the total capacitance of this combination of series and parallel capacitors shown below.

4. Find the equivalent capacitance of the combination of series and parallel capacitors shown
below.

5. A capacitor has a charge of when connected to a battery. How much energy is stored in this
capacitor?
6. Suppose you have a 9.0 V battery, a 2µF capacitor, and a 7µF capacitor. (a) Find the charge
and energy stored if the capacitors are connected to the battery in series. (b) Do the same for
a parallel connection.

Criteria/Description Famous (5) Expert (3) Able (2) Neophyte(1)

Understand the Identifies special Understand the Understand Doesn’t
problem factors that problem enough to solve understand
influences the part of the enough to get
approach before problem or to get started or make
starting the part of the progress.
problem. solution
Uses information Explains why Uses all Uses some Uses
appropriately certain appropriate appropriate inappropriate
information is information information information.
important to the correctly. correctly.
solution
Applies Explains why Applies Applies some Applies
appropriate procedures are completely appropriate inappropriate
procedure appropriate for appropriate procedures procedures.
the problem. procedures.
Answer the Correct solution Correct solution Simulate error, No answer or no
problem of problem and computational answer based
made a general error, partial upon an
rule about the answer for inappropriate
solution or problem with plan.
extended the multiple answer,
solution to a no answer
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more statement,
complicated answer labeled
solution. incorrectly.

INSTRUCTIONAL MODALITY

*** Classroom Assessment ***Google Classroom *** On-line Assessment

VII. EVALUATION (Note: Not to be included in the student’s copy of the IM)

VIII. ASSIGNMENT

1. If you wish to store a large amount of charge in a capacitor bank, would you connect
capacitors in series or in parallel? Explain.
2. If you wish to store a large amount of energy in a capacitor bank, would you connect
capacitors in series or parallel? Explain.
3. Does the capacitance of a device depend on the applied voltage? Does the capacitance of a
device depend on the charge residing on it?

RUBRICS FOR ASSIGNEMENT

Attributes 5 3 2 1
Focus and Details There is one clear, There is one clear, There is one topic. The topic and
well focused topic. well focused topic. main ideas are main ideas are not
Main ideas are main ideas are somewhat clear. clear.
clear and are well clear but are not
supported by well supported by
detailed and detailed
accurate information.
information.
Organization The introduction The introduction The introduction There is no clear
states the main states the main states the main introduction,
topic, and topic, and topic. the structure or
provides overview provides overview conclusion is conclusion.
of the paper. of the paper. The included.
information is conclusion is
relevant and included.
presented in a
logical order. the
conclusion is
strong.

INSTRUCTIONAL MODALITY

*** Classroom Assessment ***Google Classroom *** On-line Assessment

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IX. REFERENCES

Nooger and Neville Inc., Van Valkenburgh, Basic Electricity, Vol. 5, Hayden Book Company.

B.L THERAJA, A.K. THERAJA A Textbook of Electrical Technology Vol. 1

Basic Electrical Engineering; Revised by: S.G. TAPNEKAR

Daryl Janzen, “Introduction to Electricity, Magnetism, and Circuits”

[Link]
parallel/#:~:text=In%20a%20series%20circuit%2C%20the,other%20side%20are%20connected%20together.
[Link]
[Link]

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