Chapter 6: capacitance

by: Organis, Zenaida D.

Capacitance Defined

Capacitance of two conductor

systems as the ratio of the
magnitude of the total charge on
either conductor to the ratio of the
potential difference between
conductors
C

V0

the capacitance is independent of the

potential and the total charge, for their
ratio constant

C = measured in farads (F) - one coulomb per volt

Edot d S
pos

neg

Edot d L

6.2 Parallel Plate Capacitor

V0

lower

Edot d L

upper

S S

V0

dz

6.3 Several Capacitance Examples

Coaxial Cable

Vab

2 0

ln

potential difference between points

= a and = b (equation 11 sec. 4.3)

2 L
ln

Two concentric spheres

Vab

Q
4

Q
Vab

4
1
a

Parallel-plate capacitor two dielectrics

C

1
1
C1

1
C2

1
b

6.4 Capacitance of A Two-Wire Line

L
2

L
2

R0

ln

R10

R1

ln

L L
V

R20

R2

ln

2 L

h b

ln h

L
2

R10 R2

ln

R20 R2

Poissons and Laplace Equations

A useful approach to the calculation of electric potentials
Relates potential to the charge density.
The electric field is related to the charge density by the divergence relationship

The electric field is related to the electric potential by a gradient relationship

Therefore the potential is related to the charge density by Poisson's equation

In a charge-free region of space, this becomes Laplace's equation

Potential of a Uniform Sphere of Charge

outside
inside

Poissons and Laplace Equations

From the point form of Gaus's Law
Del_dot_D

Laplaces Equation

if

Definition D
D

Del_Del

Del_ E

Del_DelV

Del_dot_ DelV

Poissons Equation

Laplacian

The divergence of the

gradient of a scalar function
is called the Laplacian.

DelV

Del_D

Del_dot_ D

and the gradient relationship

E

Poissons and Laplace Equations

d d V(x y z) d d V(x y z) d d V(x y z)

dx dx
dy dy
d z d z

LapR

LapC

1 d
d
V z
d
d

1 d 2d

LapS r V r
2 dr dr

1 d d V z d d V z

2
d
z
d
z
d d

d d

sin V r

V r
2
d
r2 sin 2 dd
r sin d
1

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

D7.1
Given
V( x y z)

4 y z

y 2


z
3

x 1
Find: V @ and v at P

12

o 8.854 10

V( x y z) 12

d d V( x y z) d d V( x y z) d d V( x y z)

d x d x
dy dy
d z d z

LapR

v LapR o

10

v 1.062 10

LapR 12

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

Example 6.1
Assume V is a function only of x solve Laplaces equation

V o x
d

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

Finding the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor
Steps
1 Given V, use E = - DelV to find E
2 Use D = E to find D
3 - Evaluate D at either capacitor plate, D = Ds = Dn an
4 Recognize that s = Dn
5 Find Q by a surface integration over the capacitor plate

Vo

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

Example 6.2 - Cylindrical

ln
V

Vo

ln

2 L
ln

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

Example 6.3

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

Example 6.4 (spherical coordinates)

1
V

Vo
1
a

4
1
a

1
b

1
b
1
b

Examples of the Solution of Laplaces Equation

Example 6.5

2

tan

2

ln tan
V

Vo

ln

2 r1

ln cot

Examples of the Solution of Poissons Equation

1

v( x)

charge density
1

10

10

10
10

E( x)

E field intensity
1

0.5

V( x)

10

10

0.5

potential
0.5 0.5

10
10

0
x

10
10

References

Engineering Electromagnetics, Hayt, 8th

ed.