Assignment 8: Capacitance

Due: 8:00am on Monday, February 6, 2012 Note: To understand how points are awarded, read your instructor's Grading Policy. [Switch to Standard Assignment View]

Introduction to Capacitance
Learning Goal: To understand the meaning of capacitance and ways of calculating capacitance When a positive charge is placed on a conductor that is insulated from ground, an electric field emanates from the conductor to ground, and the conductor will have a nonzero potential relative to ground. If more charge is placed on the conductor, this voltage will increase proportionately. The ratio of charge to voltage is called the capacitance of this conductor: .

Capacitance is one of the central concepts in electrostatics, and specially constructed devices called capacitors are essential elements of electronic circuits. In a capacitor, a second conducting surface is placed near the first (they are often called electrodes), and the relevant voltage is the voltage between these two electrodes. This tutorial is designed to help you understand capacitance by assisting you in calculating the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor, which consists of two plates each of area separated by a small distance with air or vacuum in between. In figuring out the capacitance of this configuration of conductors, it is important to keep in mind that the voltage difference is the line integral of the electric field between the plates.

Part A What property of objects is best measured by their capacitance? ANSWER: ability to conduct electric current ability to distort an external electrostatic field ability to store charge

Correct Capacitance is a measure of the ability of a system of two conductors to store electric charge and energy. Capacitance is defined as . This ratio remains constant as long as the system retains its geometry and the amount of dielectric does not change. Capacitors are special devices designed to combine a large capacitance with a small size. However, any pair of conductors separated by a dielectric (or vacuum) has some capacitance. Even an isolated electrode has a small capacitance. That is, if a charge respect to ground will change, and the ratio Part B Assume that charge is placed on the top plate, and is placed on the bottom plate. What is the magnitude is its capacitance . is placed on it, its potential with

of the electric field between the plates? Hint B.1 How do you find the magnitude of the electric field? Hint not displayed Hint B.2 What is the electric flux integral due to the electric field? Hint not displayed Hint B.3 Find the enclosed charge Hint not displayed Hint B.4 Recall Gauss's law Hint not displayed Express in terms of and other quantities given in the introduction, in addition to needed. ANSWER: = Correct Part C What is the voltage between the plates of the capacitor? Hint C.1 The electric field is the derivative of the potential Hint not displayed Express in terms of the quantities given in the introduction and any required physical constants. ANSWER: = Correct Part D Now find the capacitance of the parallel-plate capacitor. . and any other constants

Express in terms of quantities given in the introduction and constants like ANSWER: = Correct

You have derived the general formula for the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor with plate area separation . It is worth remembering. Part E Consider an air-filled charged capacitor. How can its capacitance be increased? Hint E.1 What does capacitance depend on? Hint not displayed ANSWER: Increase the charge on the capacitor. Decrease the charge on the capacitor. Increase the spacing between the plates of the capacitor. Decrease the spacing between the plates of the capacitor. Increase the length of the wires leading to the capacitor plates. Correct Part F

and plate

Consider a charged parallel-plate capacitor. Which combination of changes would quadruple its capacitance? ANSWER: Double the charge and double the plate area. Double the charge and double the plate separation. Halve the charge and double the plate separation. Halve the charge and double the plate area. Halve the plate separation; double the plate area. Double the plate separation; halve the plate area. Correct

A Capacitor with Thick Plates

Consider a capacitor that consists of two metal plates of nonzero thickness separated by a positive distance . When such a capacitor is connected across the terminals of a battery with emf , two things happen simultaneously: Charge flows from one plate to another, and a potential difference appears between the two plates. In this problem, you will determine the amount and distribution of charge on each metallic plate for an ideal (infinite) parallel-plate capacitor. There is competition between the repulsive forces from like charges on a plate and the attractive forces from the opposite charge on the other plate. You will determine which force "wins."

Let , , , and be the respective surface charge densities on surfaces A, B, C, and D. Take all the charge densities to be positive for now. Some of them are in fact negative, and this will be revealed at the end of the calculation. Part A If we assume that the metallic plates are perfect conductors, the electric field in their interiors must vanish. Given that the electric field due to a charged sheet with surface charge is given by

, and that it points away from the plane of the sheet, how can the condition that the electric field in plate I vanishes be written? Hint A.1 How to approach the problem Hint not displayed ANSWER:

Correct Part B Similarly, how can the condition that the electric field in plate II vanishes be written? Hint B.1 How to approach the problem Hint not displayed ANSWER:

Correct Part C There is an electric field in the region between the two plates. The magnitude of this electric field is . This imposes another condition on the charge densities on the surfaces of the plates. How can this condition be expressed? Hint C.1 How to approach the problem Hint not displayed ANSWER:

Correct Part D Finally, how can the condition that the total charge of the system is conserved be expressed? Hint D.1 How to approach the problem Hint not displayed ANSWER:

Correct

You now have four equations in four variables. If you solve the four equations simultaneously you obtain ,

, which is the familiar expression for the surface charge density on a parallel-plate capacitor. However, you have now also established that all the charge resides on the insides of the capacitor plates.

Capacitors in Parallel
Learning Goal: To understand how to calculate capacitance, voltage, and charge for a parallel combination of capacitors. Frequently, several capacitors are connected together to form a collection of capacitors. We may be interested in determining the overall capacitance of such a collection. The simplest configuration to analyze involves capacitors connected in series or in parallel. More complicated setups can often (though not always!) be treated by combining the rules for these two cases. Consider the example of a parallel combination of capacitors: Three capacitors are

connected to each other and to a battery as shown in the figure. The individual capacitances are Part A , , and , and the battery's voltage is .

If the potential of plate 1 is , then, in equilibrium, what are the potentials of plates 3 and 6? Assume that the negative terminal of the battery is at zero potential. Hint A.1 Electrostatic equilibrium Hint not displayed ANSWER: and and and and Correct Part B

If the charge of the first capacitor (the one with capacitance third capacitors? Hint B.1 Definition of capacitance Hint B.2 Voltages across the capacitors

) is

, then what are the charges of the second and

Hint not displayed Hint not displayed ANSWER: and and and and Correct Part C Suppose we consider the system of the three capacitors as a single "equivalent" capacitor. Given the charges of the three individual capacitors calculated in the previous part, find the total charge capacitor. Express your answer in terms of ANSWER: = Correct Part D Using the value of , find the equivalent capacitance Hint D.1 Using the definition of capacitance for this combination of capacitors. and . for this equivalent

Hint not displayed Express your answer in terms of ANSWER: = Correct .

The formula for combining three capacitors in parallel is . How do you think this formula may be generalized to capacitors?

Capacitors in Series
Learning Goal: To understand how to calculate capacitance, voltage, and charge for a combination of capacitors connected in series.

Consider the combination of capacitors shown in the figure. Three capacitors are connected to each other in series, and then to the battery. The values of the capacitances are , , and , and the applied voltage is . Initially, all of the capacitors are completely discharged; after the . battery is connected, the charge on plate 1 is Part A

What are the charges on plates 3 and 6? Hint A.1 Charges on capacitors connected in series Hint not displayed Hint A.2 The charges on a capacitor's plates Hint not displayed ANSWER: and and and and 0 and 0 and Correct Part B If the voltage across the first capacitor (the one with capacitance second and third capacitors? Hint B.1 Definition of capacitance Hint not displayed Hint B.2 Charges on the capacitors Hint not displayed ANSWER: and and and ) is , then what are the voltages across the

0 and Correct Part C Find the voltage across the first capacitor. Hint C.1 How to analyze voltages Hint not displayed Express your answer in terms of ANSWER: = Correct Part D Find the charge on the first capacitor. and . .

Express your answer in terms of ANSWER: = Correct Part E

Using the value of just calculated, find the equivalent capacitance series. Hint E.1 Using the definition of capacitance Hint not displayed Express your answer in terms of ANSWER: = Correct The formula for combining three capacitors in series is .

for this combination of capacitors in

. How do you think this formula may be generalized to capacitors?

Exercise 24.22

The Figure potential difference across Part A is 50.0 .

below shows a system of four capacitors, where the

Find the equivalent capacitance of this system between and . ANSWER: 3.47 = Correct Part B How much charge is stored by this combination of capacitors? ANSWER: 174 = Correct Part C How much charge is stored in the 10.0ANSWER: 174 = Correct Part D How much charge is stored in the 9.0ANSWER: 174 = Correct capacitor? capacitor?

Problem 24.60

The capacitors in the Figure connected, as in the diagram, with switch Part A

are initially uncharged and are open. The applied potential difference is = + 210 .

What is the potential difference ? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 70 = Correct Part B What is the potential difference ANSWER: 105 = Correct Part C What is the potential difference ANSWER: 105 = Correct Part D What is the potential difference ANSWER: 105 = Correct Part E What is the potential difference ANSWER: 105 = Correct Part F How much charge flowed through the switch when it was closed? ANSWER: 315 = Correct after switch is closed? after switch is closed? after switch is closed? after switch is closed?

 Capacitance and Electric Field of a Spherical Capacitor

A spherical capacitor is formed from two concentric spherical conducting shells separated by vacuum. The inner sphere has a radius of = 12.5 , and the outer sphere has a radius of = 14.9 . A potential difference of 120 is applied to the capacitor. Part A What is the capacitance of the capacitor? Hint A.1 How to approach the problem Hint not displayed Hint A.2 Which Gaussian surface to use Hint not displayed Hint A.3 Evaluate the integral in Gauss's law Hint not displayed Hint A.4 Find an expression for the potential difference Hint not displayed Hint A.5 Definiton of capacitance Hint not displayed Use = 8.851012 for the permittivity of free space. ANSWER: 8.631011 = Correct Part B What is the magnitude of the electric field Hint B.1 How to approach the problem at radius 12.6 , just outside the inner sphere?

Hint not displayed Hint B.2 Calculate the charge on the inner sphere Hint not displayed ANSWER: Part C What is the magnitude of at 14.6 , just inside the outer sphere? Hint C.1 How to approach the problem Hint not displayed ANSWER: 4370 = Correct 5870 = Correct

In a parallel-plate capacitor, the field between the plates is uniform. In a spherical capacitor, however, the field is a function of the radial distance from the center, so the field is not uniform between the spheres. In problem 24.48 the square plates have side lengths of 16 cm.

Problem 24.48
A parallel-plate air capacitor is made by using two plates 16 12- battery. Part A What is the capacitance? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 6.11011 = Correct Part B What is the charge on each plate? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 7.41010 = Correct Part C What is the electric field between the plates? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 3200 = Correct Part D What is the energy stored in the capacitor? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 4.4109 = Correct Part E The battery is disconnected and then the plates are pulled apart to a separation of 7.4 What is the capacitance in this case? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 3.11011 = Correct Part F What is the charge on each plate in this case? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 7.41010 = Correct Part G What is the electric field between the plates in this case? Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 3200 = Correct Part H What is the energy stored in the capacitor? . square, spaced 3.7 apart. It is connected to a

Express your answer using two significant figures. ANSWER: 8.8109 = Correct