CH 24 CAPACITANCE AND DIELECTRICS I

Intended Learning Outcomes – after this lecture you will learn:

1. A capacitor as a charge reservoir
2. To calculate the capacitance of conductors with different geometric arrangement
3. To calculate networks of capacitors
4. A capacitor as an energy reservoir
5. Electric potential energy interpreted as energy stored in an electric field

A capacitor is a device to store charge (c.f. a water tank to store water). Any two conductors
insulated from each other form a capacitor,
But in practice:
1. Conductors contain equal and opposite charges ±𝑄𝑄
2. Although overall neutral, we refer to 𝑄𝑄 as the charge
stored in the capacitor
3. Potential difference, or voltage, of the capacitor is
the potential of conductor carrying +𝑄𝑄 relative to
that carrying – 𝑄𝑄
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎 − 𝑉𝑉𝑏𝑏

c.f. a tank to store water

Water pressure at bottom 𝑃𝑃 = 𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌ℎ ∝ water mass

ℎ By analogy, 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 ∝ 𝑄𝑄. Define the proportionality

constant as the capacitance 𝐶𝐶

𝑄𝑄
𝐶𝐶 ≡
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎

SI Unit: farad F, 1 F = 1 C/V

1 F is a huge capacitor (because 1 C is a large amount of charge). More practical units of
capacitance are µF (micro, 10−6 F) and pF (pico, 10−12 F)
𝐶𝐶 measures the ability of the conductors to hold charge at a certain voltage
𝐶𝐶 depend on the geometry of the two conductors only

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 1

Parallel-Plate Capacitor

Assume plates infinitely large, i.e., 𝑑𝑑 ≪ √𝐴𝐴, ignore edge effect, 𝐸𝐸 = 𝜎𝜎⁄𝜖𝜖0 = 𝑄𝑄/𝜖𝜖0 𝐴𝐴
1 𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 =
𝜖𝜖0 𝐴𝐴
𝑄𝑄 𝐴𝐴
𝐶𝐶 = = 𝜖𝜖0
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑
for a 1 F parallel-plate capacity whose plates are 1.0 mm apart,
𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶
𝐴𝐴 = = 1.1 × 108 m2 ‼‼
𝜖𝜖0

Spherical Capacitor Example 24.3

Two concentric conductor shells, inside shell has +𝑄𝑄 and outer has – 𝑄𝑄
Use Gauss’s law to find field between the shells
𝑄𝑄
� �𝑬𝑬⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
��⃗ =
𝜖𝜖0
𝑄𝑄 1 𝑄𝑄
𝐸𝐸(4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 ) = ⇒ 𝐸𝐸 =
𝜖𝜖0 4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟 2
𝑏𝑏 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
��⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝒓𝒓
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = � 𝑬𝑬 �⃗ = � 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸
𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎
𝑄𝑄 1 1
= � − �
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
𝑄𝑄 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 − 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎
=
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏

𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
𝐶𝐶 = 4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0
𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 − 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎
outer shell with charge – 𝑄𝑄 has no effect on 𝐸𝐸, 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 , nor 𝐶𝐶. It shields the field from outside.
same as parallel-plate capacity if 𝑑𝑑 → 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 − 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 and 𝐴𝐴 → 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 (geometric mean of inner and
outer shell surfaces, 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎2 and 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏2 ).

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 2

 Digression: the arithmetic mean of two numbers 𝑎𝑎 and 𝑏𝑏 is (𝑎𝑎 + 𝑏𝑏)/2, and
geometric mean is √𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎. Geometric mean is useful in comparing things with
different properties.
See https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/geometric-mean.html.

Cylindrical Capacitor Example 24.4

Coaxial conductors with charge per unit length ±𝜆𝜆
𝜆𝜆𝜆𝜆 𝜆𝜆
𝐸𝐸(2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋) = ⇒ 𝐸𝐸 =
𝜖𝜖0 2𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟
𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
𝜆𝜆 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = � 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 = ln
𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 2𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎

𝐿𝐿
𝐶𝐶 = 2𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0
ln(𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 ⁄𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 )

e.g. a typical TV coaxial cable has capacitance 69 pF/m

Question: If you double the charge on each conductor of a capacitor, the capacitance will
(increase / decrease / remain the same / don’t know because it depends on the geometry of the
conductors).

Capacitors in series and parallel

Two capacitors in series Two capacitors in parallel

Network

𝑉𝑉 across each
Different unless 𝐶𝐶1 = 𝐶𝐶2 same
capacitor
𝑄𝑄 in each
same Different unless 𝐶𝐶1 = 𝐶𝐶2
capacitor

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 3

 Equivalent
capacitor

𝑄𝑄 𝑄𝑄
Total voltage 𝑉𝑉1 + 𝑉𝑉2 = + 𝑉𝑉
𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2

Total charge 𝑄𝑄 𝑄𝑄1 + 𝑄𝑄2 = 𝐶𝐶1 𝑉𝑉 + 𝐶𝐶2 𝑉𝑉

Equivalent 1 1 1
= + 𝐶𝐶eq = 𝐶𝐶1 + 𝐶𝐶2
capacitance 𝐶𝐶eq 𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2

Example 24.6 A capacitor network

Work out the equivalent capacity from (a) → (b) → (c) → (d)
1 1 1
= + ⇒ 𝐶𝐶eq = 4 𝜇𝜇F 3 𝜇𝜇F + 11 𝜇𝜇F + 4 𝜇𝜇F = 18 𝜇𝜇F
𝐶𝐶eq 12 𝜇𝜇F 6 𝜇𝜇F

9 𝜇𝜇C 33 𝜇𝜇C 12 𝜇𝜇C

12 𝜇𝜇C 3.0 V 3.0 V 3.0 V 54 𝜇𝜇C
1.0 V 3.0 V
54 𝜇𝜇C
9.0 V
12 𝜇𝜇C
2.0 V
54 𝜇𝜇C
6.0 V

1 1 1
= + ⇒ 𝐶𝐶eq = 6 𝜇𝜇F
𝐶𝐶eq 18 𝜇𝜇F 9 𝜇𝜇F

If given 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 9.0 V, work out the charge and voltage of each capacitor in (a) in the reversed
manner (d) → (c) → (b) → (a) as shown in red.

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 4

Energy Stored in Capacitors
Start from uncharged conductors, add charge slowly by +𝑞𝑞
moving charge from one conductor to another +𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑉𝑉
At some stage when charge is 𝑞𝑞 and voltage 𝑉𝑉, workdone
by electric field to move 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 across a potential difference 𝑉𝑉 −𝑞𝑞
𝑞𝑞
= −𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 = − 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝐶𝐶

Total workdone by electric field to build up charge from 0 to 𝑄𝑄

𝑄𝑄
𝑞𝑞 𝑄𝑄 2
𝑊𝑊 = − � 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = − = −(𝑈𝑈(𝑄𝑄) − 𝑈𝑈(0))
0 𝐶𝐶 2𝐶𝐶
If define 𝑈𝑈(0) = 0 (potential energy of an uncharged capacitor is zero)
𝑄𝑄 2 1 2 1
𝑈𝑈 = = 𝐶𝐶𝑉𝑉 = 𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄
2𝐶𝐶 2 2
𝑈𝑈 ≠ 𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄 because the voltage is not constant during the charging process
𝑈𝑈 is also the work needed (provided by external agent) to charge the capacitor, i.e., −𝑊𝑊

Example 24.7
With switch S open:
𝐶𝐶1 is at 𝑉𝑉0 = 120 V, while 𝐶𝐶2 uncharged
charge of 𝐶𝐶1 is 𝑄𝑄0 = 𝐶𝐶1 𝑉𝑉0 = 960 𝜇𝜇C
energy stored in 𝐶𝐶1 is 𝑈𝑈0 = 12𝐶𝐶1 𝑉𝑉02 = 0.058 J

With switch S close and charge stop flowing:

Conservation of charge 𝑄𝑄0 = 𝑄𝑄1 + 𝑄𝑄2
𝑄𝑄1 𝑄𝑄2
𝑉𝑉1 = 𝑉𝑉2 ⟹ =
𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
We get 𝑄𝑄1 = 640 𝜇𝜇C, 𝑄𝑄2 = 320 𝜇𝜇C, 𝑉𝑉1 = 𝑉𝑉2 = 80 V
1 1
Energy stored in 𝐶𝐶1 and 𝐶𝐶2 = 2 𝑉𝑉1 𝑄𝑄1 + 2 𝑉𝑉2 𝑄𝑄2 = 0.038 J
Question: where goes the energy difference 0.058 J − 0.038 J = 0.020 J?

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 5

Electric-Field Energy
Charging a capacitor builds up electric field. Can consider 𝑈𝑈 as energy stored in the electric field
For parallel-plate capacitor, energy density (per unit volume) of electric field in between
conductors
1
2
𝐶𝐶𝑉𝑉 2 12(𝜖𝜖0 𝐴𝐴⁄𝑑𝑑 )(𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸)2 1
𝑢𝑢 = = ⇒ 𝑢𝑢 = 2𝜖𝜖0 𝐸𝐸 2
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴
this formula is not limited to a parallel-plate capacitor. It holds for any electric field, whether
uniform or not
provide another way to interpret electric potential energy as stored locally in the field

Energy stored in spherical conductor Example 24.9

Electric field radially outward between the
shells. From Gauss’s law
1 𝑄𝑄
𝐸𝐸 =
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟 2
And capacitance is
𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
𝐶𝐶 = 4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0
𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 − 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎

Two ways to interpret the potential energy of this capacitor

as work needed to assemble charge as energy stored in electric field
2 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏
𝑄𝑄 1
𝑈𝑈 = 𝑈𝑈 = � �2𝜖𝜖0 𝐸𝐸 2 � (4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑)
2𝐶𝐶 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎
𝑄𝑄 2 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 − 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑄𝑄 2 1 1 𝑄𝑄 2 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 − 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎
= = � − �=
8𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 8𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏 8𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑏𝑏

Question: You want to connect a 4 𝜇𝜇F and a 8 𝜇𝜇F capacitor. Which type of connection (series or
parallel) will you choose if you want
a) the voltage of the 4 𝜇𝜇F capacitor to be greater than that of the 8 𝜇𝜇F one?
(series / parallel / either one can do / neither one can do)
b) the charge of the 4 𝜇𝜇F capacitor to be greater than that of the 8 𝜇𝜇F one?
(series / parallel / either one can do / neither one can do)
c) the energy stored in the 4 𝜇𝜇F capacitor to be greater than that of the 8 𝜇𝜇F one?
(series / parallel / either one can do / neither one can do)

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 6

Clicker Questions

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 7

Ans: Q24.1) C, Q24.5) A, Q24.7) D

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 8

Video Solutions of Textbook Examples for this Lecture

PHYS1114 Lecture 7 Capacitance and Dielectrics I P. 9