CAPACITANCE
❖Capacitors And Capacitance
❖Charging And Discharging Of A
Capacitor Through A Resistor
❖Time Constant
❖Discharging of a Capacitor
❖Current During Charging and
Discharging of a Capacitor
❖Effect of Dielectric on Capacitance
Anshu D Varshney
Capacitors And Capacitance
A capacitor is a system of two conductors separated by an insulator.
The electric field in the region between the conductors is
proportional to the charge Q.
Potential difference V is the work done per unit positive charge in
taking a small test charge from the conductor 2 to 1 against the field.
⇒ V is also proportional to Q, and the ratio Q/V is a constant:
C = Q/V
The constant C is called the capacitance of the capacitor. C is
independent of Q or V, as stated above. The SI unit of capacitance is
called a farad (F).
Anshu D Varshney
Charging And Discharging Of A
Capacitor Through A Resistor
When the key is pressed, the capacitor begins to store charge. If at
any time during charging, I is the current through the circuit and
Q is the charge on the capacitor, then
Potential difference across resistor = IR, and
Potential difference between the plates of the capacitor = Q/C
Since the sum of both these potentials is equal to ε,
RI + Q/C = ε … (1)
As the current stops flowing when the capacitor is fully charged.
When Q = Q0 (the maximum value of the charge on the capacitor),
I=0
Anshu D Varshney
Charging And Discharging Of A
Capacitor Through A Resistor
From equation. (1),
Q0 / C = ε … (2)
From equations. (1) and (2),
RI + Q/ C = Q0/ C , or (Q0-Q )/RC=I …(3)
Since , I=dQ/dt, from equation …(3),
(Q0-Q )/RC= dQ/dt;
dt / RC = dQ/ (Q0-Q )
When t = 0, Q = 0 and when t = t, Q = Q.
Integrating both sides within proper limits, we get
Q=Q0(1−exp(−t/τ)) … (4)
Where τ =CR
Eqn. (4) gives us the value of charge on the capacitor at any
time during charging.
Anshu D Varshney
Time Constant
Further,
if CR < < 1, Q will attain its final value rapidly and
if CR > > 1, it will do so slowly.
Thus, the quantity CR is called the time constant or more
appropriately, the capacitive time constant of the circuit.
If t = τ, then from eqn. (4),
Q=Q0(1−e−1)=0.632 Q0
Time constant of a CR circuit is thus the time during which the
charge on the capacitor becomes 0.632 (approx., 2/3) of its
maximum value.
For the charge on the capacitor to attain its maximum value
(Q0), i.e., for Q = Q0,
e−t/CR=0, or t=∞
Thus, theoretically, the charge on the capacitor will attain its
maximum value only after infinite time.
Anshu D Varshney
Discharging of a Capacitor
When the circuit is broken without introducing any additional
resistance. The battery is now out of the circuit and the capacitor will
discharge itself through R. If I is the current at any time during
discharge, then putting ε = 0 in RI + Q/C = ε, we get
RI+Q/C=0 or RdQ/dt+Q/C=0
or
dQ/Q=−dt/CR
When t = 0, Q = Q0 and when t = t, Q = Q.
Integrating both sides within proper limits, we get
Q=Q0e−t/CR=Q0e−t/τ … (5) Where τ=CR
Eqn. (5) gives the value of the charge on the capacitor at any time
during discharging.
If t = CR, then from eqn. (5),
Q=Q0e−1=0.368 Q0=36.8% of Q0
Time constant of a CR circuit is thus also the time during which the
charge on the capacitor falls from its maximum value to 0.368
(approx… 1/3) of its maximum value.
Thus, the charge on the capacitor will become zero
Anshu Donly after infinite
Varshney
time.
Current During Charging and
Discharging of a Capacitor
During Charging During Discharging
As, I= dQ/dt =d (Qo(1-e -t/τ))/dt As, I=d (Qo(1-e -t/τ))/dt
Or I ch=Qo/τ e-t/τ=Ioe -t/τ …(6) Or I dis= - Qo/τ e-t/τ= - Ioe -t//τ…(7)
Where Io is maximum current flowing through the When t=0, Idis= |- Io|= Io
circuit
When t=0, Ich=Io
It is clear from equations. (6) and (7) that the magnitudes of the maximum
values of the currents (Ich and Idis) flowing through the circuit in both the
cases (charging and discharging) is the same.
Thus, both during charging and discharging of a capacitor through a
resistance, the current always decreases from maximum to zero
Further, as at t = 0, Ich = I0 and Idis = -I0, the directions of flow of currents in
both the cases are opposite to each other. Anshu D Varshney
Effect of Dielectric on Capacitance
Anshu D Varshney
