General Physics II

Capacitors and Dielectrics

The ideas of energy storage in E-fields can be carried a step further by understanding the
concept of "Capacitance."
Consider a sphere with a total charge, Q, and a radius, R. From previous problems we know
Q
that the potential at the surface is, V = k
R
Putting more charge on the sphere stores more energy, but the ratio of energy or potential to
charge depends only on R, not on Q or V. That is,
Q R
= = 4πε 0 R .
V k
It's true for all charged objects that the ratio of potential to voltage depends only on the shape,
so this ratio is defined as the capacitance.
Q
C≡
. V

1 coulomb
The units of capacitance are ≡ 1 Farad ≡ 1 F. Common values of capacitance are
volts
microfarads, µF (10-6 Farads) and picofarads, pF (10-12 Farads).

Consider two conductors connected to the terminals of a battery. The battery will supply an
equal amount of charge, but of opposite sign, to each of the conductors. The question arising
at this point: what will be capacitance of the conductor system? Let us consider different
conductor systems:
Parallel plates
Two conducting parallel plates separated
by a distance d with charges +Q and -Q.
The potential difference between the
plates (from one plate to the other) is
⎛ρ ⎞ Qd
Va − Vb = V = Ed = ⎜ s ⎟ d = .
⎝ εo ⎠ Aε o

Q ε0 A
The capacitance is C= =
V d

Conducting concentric spheres

Two concentric spheres of radii R and r. The potential difference between the spheres is

Q ⎛ 1 1⎞
Va − Vb = V = ⎜ − ⎟.
4πε o ⎝ R r ⎠
The capacitance is r
Q 4πε o
C= =
V ⎛ 1 1⎞
⎜ − ⎟ R
⎝R r⎠

Coaxial Cable

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Coaxial cable (two concentric conducting cylinders) of length L. The inside conductor has a
radius r with charge ρ A and the inside surface of
the outside conductor is R with charge - ρ A .
λ R Q R r
Va − Vb = V = ln = ln R
2πε o r 2πε o L r
The capacitance is
Q 2πε o L L
C= =
V R
ln
r

Exercise
There are electrical devices that are designed to store energy in this fashion. These devices
are referred to a "capacitors." To get an idea of the magnitude of the unit Farad, find how
large a parallel plate capacitor must be in order to have a capacitance of one Farad. Take the
distance between the plates to be 0.1 mm.

Capacitors in Electrical Circuits

The circuit diagram of a capacitor
V
You can "charge" a capacitor by connecting the capacitor to
a battery (power supply). (Remember that in the electrostatic
situation the wires (conductors) are equipotentials.)
C
Combinations of Capacitors - this is necessary because capacitors
with only certain values are available.

Capacitors in parallel: The total capacitance of the circuit Ceq , V

that is equivalent to the capacitors is parallel (does the same job
as the capacitors in parallel). +
"top to top, bottom to bottom"
"left to left, right to right" voltage C2
C1 C3
V
"The voltage is the same across all
capacitors in parallel." And charge is
_
conserved:
V = VC1 = VC2 = VC3 ; Q = Q1 + Q2 + Q3
Using the definition of the capacitance: +
Q = CeqV = C1V1 + C2V2 + C3V3 = V ( C1 + C2 + C3 )
C1
Ceq = C1 + C2 + C3

voltage
Capacitors in Series: In this case the capacitors connected to V
C2
each others "one after another" - similar to a train engine pulling
its cars. The total capabitance , Ceq can be obtained as follows.
"The charge on the capacitors that are in series is the same on C3
each capacitor." _

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V = VC1 + VC2 + VC3 ; Q = Q1 = Q2 = Q3

Using the definition of the capacitance:
Q Q Q ⎛ 1 1 1 ⎞
V = 1 + 2 + 3 = Q⎜ + + ⎟
C1 C2 C3 ⎝ C1 C2 C3 ⎠
V ⎛ 1 1 1 ⎞
Ceq = =⎜ + + ⎟
Q ⎝ C1 C2 C3 ⎠
We can generalize our results for the total capacitances in the parallel and series circuits:

Ceq = C1 + C2 + " + CN N-Capacitor connected in parallel

1 1 1 1
= + +" + N-Capacitor connected in series
Ceq C1 C2 CN

C1C 2
For two capacitors connected in series: C eq = .
C1 + C 2

Parallel and series combinations:

Example
Find the charge on each capacitor and the voltage across each capacitor.
2 µF
Solution
The equivalent capacitance of the circuit is 3 µF
Ceq = (3) Series (2 // 4)
4 µF
3*6
= 3series (2 + 4) = = 2µ F
3+ 6
The total charge Q=VCeq=12*2=24µ Coulomb.
12 v
And the charge on the 3µF capacitor is equal to
the total charge: 24µ Coulomb. Potential(voltage) of this capacitor is V=24/3=8 Volts.
From the conservation of energy voltages of the 2 and 4µF capacitors are V=12-8=4 volts.
Then the charge on the 2µF capacitor is 4*2=8µ Coulomb
Then the charge on the 2µF capacitor is 4*2=16µ Coulomb.
Exercises
Find the equivalent capacitance between points A and B.
4 µF

6 µF

3 µF 8 µF
A B

2 µF

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3 µF 6 µF
Find the equivalent capacitance between points A and A
B.

2 µF 8 µF 4 µF

A 3 µF and a 6 µF capacitor are connected in parallel and are charged by a 12 volt battery, as
shown. After the capacitors are charged, the battery is then disconnected from the circuit.
The capacitors are then disconnected from each other and reconnected after the 6 µF capacitor
is inverted. Find the charge on each capacitor and the voltage across each.

A C A D
12 v 3 µF 6 µF B C
B D

Energy stored in the capacitor.

When a capacitor is being "charged" by a battery (or power supply), work is done by the
battery to move charge from one plate of the capacitor to the other plate. As the capacitor is
being charged, we can say that the capacitor is storing energy (What kind of energy?). Find
the stored energy.
Consider a capacitor being charged by a battery. After a time t, the voltage across the
capacitor is V and an amount of charge q has accumulated (so far) on the plates of the
capacitor. To move an additional amount of charge dq from one plate to the other, the battery
must do an amount of work dW, where dW = (dq)V. (Remember from before that
Wa →b = U a − U b = q (Va − Vb ) , or W = qV is the work done moving a charge q through a
voltage V.) Formally:
q Q q Q2
dW = dU = Vdq = dq ⇒ U = ∫ dq =
C 0 C 2C
where U is the stored energy in the capacitor. As a summary:

Q2 1 1
U= = CV 2 = QV
2C 2 2

Question: Where is the energy stored?

U
Energy density is defined as the stored energy per unit volume: u =
volume
Example
Calculate the stored energy in a parallel plate capacitor of surface area A and plate separation
d. Potential difference between the plates is V0. Calculate energy density.
Q ε A
Solution: Capacitance of the parallel plate is: C = = 0 . Then the energy is:
V d
1 ε0 A 2
U= V0
2 d
In order to find energy density we divide U by volume V=Ad;

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U 1 ε0 2 1
u= = V = ε0E2
2 0
Ad 2 d 2
where E is the electric field between the plates and it can be defined as V=E.d.

Dielectrics in capacitors
A careful glance at the equations of the
capacitors shows that we can increase the
capacitance of a capacitor by using some
materials whose permittivity bigger than the
permittivity of the air ε 0 . These materials
+Q -Q
are known as the dielectric materials.
Dielectrics are insulators. Electrons are not
free to flow from one molecule to another.
The atoms in a dielectric can have dipole
moments. In a typical chunk of dielectric
material these dipoles are randomly aligned
Dipoles Electric
and therefore produce no net field as shown.
Field

When a dielectric is placed between the plates of a capacitor

with a surface charge density ρ s the resulting electric field, E0, tends to align the dipoles with
the field. These results in a net charge density ρ s induced on the surfaces of the dielectric
which in turns creates an induced electric field, Ei, in the opposite direction to the applied
field. The total field inside the dielectric is reduced to,
E = E0 − Ei
E
The dielectric constant is defined as the ratio of the applied field to the total field, κ = 0
E
E0 ⎛ 1⎞
(kappa). Substituting for E and solving for the induced field: κ = ⇒ Ei = ⎜1 − ⎟ E0 .
E0 − Ei ⎝ κ⎠
Note that κ=1 is a perfect insulator such as a vacuum and κ=∞ is a perfect conductor. How
does the introduction of a dielectric affect the capacitance of a capacitor? We can find change
in the potential:
G 1 G 1
V = ∫ E.d A = ∫ E0 .d A = V0
κ κ
If the capacitance without dielectric C0=Q/V0, with dielectric it will be C=Q/V, eliminating Q,
V and V0 between equations we obtain
C = κ C0

The capacitance larger by a factor κ . Some values -- vacuum: κ = A/2 A/2

1, glass: κ = 5 to 10, mica: κ = 3 to 6.
Example κ2 d/2
κ1
Find the capacitance of the capacitor shown in figure.
Solution κ3 d/2
Draw the circuit diagram of the capacitors
These are parallel plate capacitors and their capavitance can be
ε A
calculated by using C0 = 0 ; C = κ C0 . Then:
d

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ε0 A / 2 ε0 A / 2 ε0 A / 2
C1 = κ1 ; C2 = κ 2 ; C3 = κ 3
d d /2 d /2
Since C2 and C3 are series to the each other, the equivalent
CC κκ ε A
capacitance is: Ceq1 = 2 3 = 2 3 0 C2
C2 + C3 κ 2 + κ 3 d C1
C1 is parallel to the Ceq1:
C3
κκ ε A ε A ε A⎛ κ κ κ ⎞
Ceq = Ceq1 + C1 = 2 3 0 + κ1 0 = 0 ⎜ 2 3 + 1 ⎟ .
κ 2 + κ3 d 2d d ⎝ κ2 + κ3 2 ⎠
Example
Consider a parallel capacitor made of two
large metal plates of L by L separated by
distance d (<<A) with a neutral dielectric slab Metal Dielectric
(thickness a, same area as the metal plates).
The potential difference between the two (a)
plates is V. Find the amount of charge on the
plates and energy stored in (a) and (b). L

Solution: x
(a) We can think that two capacitor Metal Dielectric
connected series with the capacitances
ε A ε L2 κε L2 (b)
C1 = 0 = 0 ; and C2 = 0
d −a d −a a
The equivalent capacitance is
CC κε 0 L2
Ceq = 1 2 =
C1 + C2 a + (d − a)κ
The total charge on the plates Q=CV. Energy
stored in the capacitor is: W=QV/2.
(b) Equivalent circuit of the configuration is a capacitor connected in parallel to the two
capacitoe in series with the capacitances:
ε L( L − x) ε Lx κε Lx
C1 = 0 ; C2 = 0 ; C3 = 0
d d −a a
The equivalent capacitance is
CC
Ceq = C1 + 2 3 ; Q=CV and W=QV/2.
C2 + C3

Exercises
A parallel plate capacitor consists of plates of area 10 cm2 and a distance between the plates
of 0.05 mm. The space between the plates is filled with a dielectric of constant κ = 5. The
capacitor is connected to a 6 volt battery.
a. Find the capacitance of the capacitor with the dielectric.
b. Find the charge on the plates of the capacitor.
c. Find the induced charge on the surface of the dielectric.
d. Find the energy stored in the capacitor.
e. Find the energy density between the plates of the capacitor.

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A/2 A/2
Find the capacitance of the capacitor shown.

d/2
κ1 κ

d/2
κ3

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