Capacitor is a device that store charges
Parallel plates separated by a dielectric layer
EGR 101 1
Fixed Value Capacitors
• Polarized Electrolytic Capacitors
• Most electrolytic capacitors are polarized
EGR 101 2
Variable Capacitors
Interleaved-Plate Capacitors
EGR 101 3
Charging a Capacitor
Electrostatic Charge Develops on the Plates
Electrostatic Field Stores energy
EGR 101 4
Discharging a Capacitor
Apply a discharging component (here a short
circuit) across the capacitor.
EGR 101 5
Capacitance
Capacitance is the ratio of the amount of
charge Q in one plate to the potential
difference V between the plates.
Capacitance is the amount of charge that a
capacitor can store per unit volt applied.
Capacitance is directly proportional to charge
and inversely proportional to voltage
Q
C or Q CV
V
EGR 101 6
Q
C or Q CV
V
where
C = the capacity (or capacitance) of the
component, in coulombs per volt, or Farads
Q = the total charge stored by the
component
V= the voltage across the capacitor
EGR 101 7
Sample Problem 1
EGR 101 8
Capacitor Ratings
Most capacitors rated in the picofarad (pF) to
microfarad (F) range
Capacitors in the millifarad range are
commonly rated in thousands of microfarads:
68 mF = 68,000 F
Capacitors in the nanofarad range are also
commonly rated in microfarads:
68 nF = 0.068 F
EGR 101 9
Capacitance of a Parallel Plate Capacitor
A
C
d
EGR 101 10
A
C
d
C = capacitance (F)
= dielectric constant
A= the area of either plate, in square meters (m2)
d = the distance between the plates, in meters (m)
EGR 101 11
The capacitance of a parallel plate
capacitor is affected by the following
factors:
[Link] area of plates. The bigger the area of
the plates, the greater the capacitance.
[Link] distance between the plates. The
closer plates to one another, the greater the
capacitance.
[Link] insulating material or dielectric
between them. The capacitance is determined
in terms of material’s permittivity constant ϵ -
the higher the ϵ, the higher the capacitance.
EGR 101 12
Permittivity of Some Common Dielectrics
The dielectric constant is a property of the material;
here are some examples:
Dielectric ϵ ( x 10-11 C2/Nm2)
Air or vacuum 0.885 or 1
Glass (ordinary) 7
Glass (pyrex) 4.7
Mica 4.8
Mylar 2.7
Teflon 1.9
Water at 20 °C 70.8
Sometimes the relative permittivity or dielectric constant
of the dielectric material is given instead of its
permittivity. The relative permittivity or dielectric
constant ϵR is the ratio of the permittivity ϵ of the
dielectric to the permittivity of vacuum in air.
R
0
Therefore, the capacitance becomes:
A A
C R 0
d d
C R C0
Plate Area: capacitance is directly proportional
to plate area
Dielectric Thickness: capacitance is inversely
proportional to dielectric thickness
Dielectric Permittivity: the ease with which
lines of electrical force are established in the
dielectric material
Relative Permittivity: the ratio of a material’s
permittivity to that of a vacuum
EGR 101 16
Sample Problem 2
A capacitor consists of two square metal
plates, each measuring 5.00 x 10-2m on side.
In between the plates is a sheet of mica
measuring 1.00 x 10-4 m thick.
[Link] is the capacitance of this capacitor?
[Link] is the potential difference if the
charge on one plate is 2.00 x 10-8 C
[Link] is the electric field between the
plates?
EGR 101 17
Sample Problem 3
The capacitance of a parallel plate air
capacitor is 350.0 µF. When a sheet of a
dielectric is inserted between the plates, the
capacitance increases to 2100.0 µF. What is
the permittivity of the dielectrics?
EGR 101 18
Capacitors in Series
1
CT
1 1 1
C1 C2 Cn
CT = the total series capacitance
Cn = the highest-numbered capacitor in the circuit
EGR 101 19
Capacitors in Parallel
CT C1 C 2 C n
Cn = the highest-numbered capacitor in the
parallel circuit
EGR 101 20
Sample Problem 4
Given that C1 = 10.0 F, C2 = 5.0 F, and
C3 = 4.0 F, Find the total capacitance
for each connection.
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]-parallel combination
EGR 101 21
Energy Stored in Capacitor
1
W U qV
2
1 1 1 q2
U qV CV 2
2 2 2C
EGR 101 22
Sample Problem 5
How much energy is stored by a 35 µF
capacitor when the charge on each
plate is 2500 µC?
What is the potential difference
between the plates of the capacitor?
EGR 101 23
