-Energy in a capacitor
-Energy density in a
static electric field
Group 8:
Hebra, Eihr Jeush
Bebayo, Peter Paul
Peremne, John Lloyd
Jaculina, Shelo (group
11)
Most of us have seen dramatizations of medical workers
passing an electrical charge through a patient's heart to
restore normal rhythm. The person administering the shock
instructs another person to "make it 400 joules this time,"
and the energy provided by the defibrillator is stored in a
capacitor that may be changed to meet the scenario. The SI
units of joules are frequently used. The usage of capacitors
in microelectronics to deliver energy when batteries are
charged is less dramatic. Capacitors are also utilized in
cameras to power the flash lamps.
Energy in a Capacitor
• It requires work to charge a capacitor. Hence energy is stored by
a charged capacitor.
• To determine the magnitude of this energy, consider a capacitor
of capacitance C charged to a potential difference V between two
conductors.
q=CV
• Where q is the charge on each conductor. Potential is work per
charge. In terms of infinitesimals it is infinitesimal work dW per
infinitesimal charge dq.
V=dW𝑑𝑞
• Introducing the value of V from equation 2 in equation 1 we have,
𝑞
𝑑𝑊 = 𝑑𝑞
𝑐
• If the charging process starts from a zero charge and continues until
final charge Q is delivered, the total work W is integral of the previous
equation.
1 𝑄 1 𝑄2
𝑊 = න 𝑞 𝑑𝑞 =
𝐶 0 2 𝐶
• This is the energy stored in the capacitor. This can be expressed as:
1 𝑄2 1 2 1
𝑊= = 𝐶𝑉 = 𝑄𝑉
2 𝐶 2 2
Where:
W= energy, J
C= capacitance, F
V= potential difference, V
Q= charge on one conductor, C
Following are a few applications of capacitor
energy:
• A defibrillator that is used to correct abnormal heart rhythm delivers a large
charge in a short burst to a person’s heart. Applying large shocks of electric
current can stop the arrhythmia and allow the body’s natural pacemaker to
resume its normal rhythm. A defibrillator uses the energy stored in the
capacitor.
• The audio equipment, uninterruptible power supplies, camera flashes, pulsed
loads such as magnetic coils and lasers use the energy stored in the
capacitors.
• Super capacitors are capable of storing a large amount of energy and can
offer new technological possibilities.
Example:
1. If the capacitance of a capacitor is 50 F charged to a potential of 100 V,
Calculate the energy stored in it.
Solution:
We have a capacitor of capacitance 50 F that is charged to a potential of 100 V.
The energy stored in the capacitor can be calculated as follows
1
𝑊 = 𝐶𝑉 2
2
Substitute the values to the equation:
1
𝑊 = (50)(100)2
2
=250𝑥103 𝐽
Energy Density In A static Electric Field
• Energy density is the amount of energy stored in a given
system or region of space per unit mass.
• Often only the useful or extractable energy is quantified, which
is to say that chemically inaccessible energy such as rest
mass energy is ignored.
Energy Density In A static Electric Field
• Considering the parallel plate capacitor of capacitance C
shown in Fig. 3-10. When it is charged to a potential
difference V between the plates, the energy stored is.
1 1
𝑊 = 𝐶𝑉 2 = 𝑄𝑉
2 2
• The energy in a capacitor is stored in the electric
field between the plates.
• Consider the small cubical volume ∆𝑣 = ∆𝑙3
between the plates as indicated in figure 3.10.
This volume is shown to a larger scale Fig 3.
11. The length of each side is ∆𝑙 , and the top
and bottom faces (of area ∆𝑙2 ) are parallel to
the capacitor plates (normal to the field E). If
thin sheets of metal foil are placed coincident
with the top and bottom faces of the volume,
the field will be undisturbed provided the
sheets are sufficiently thin. The volume ∆𝑣
now constitutes a small capacitor of
capacitance.
𝜖∆𝑙2
∆𝐶 = ∆𝑙
=𝜖∆𝑙 (eq. 2)
• The potential difference ∆𝑉of the thin sheets is given by:
∆𝑉 = 𝐸∆𝑙 (eq. 3)
• Now the energy ∆𝑊 stored in the volume ∆𝑣 𝑖𝑠
1
∆𝑊 = ∆𝐶∆𝑉 2 (eq. 4)
2
• Substituting equation (2) for ∆𝐶 and (3) for ∆𝑉 in (4),
1
∆𝑊 = 𝜖𝐸 2 ∆𝑣 (eq. 5)
2
• Dividing (5) by ∆𝑣 and taking the limit of ratio ∆𝑊/ ∆𝑣 as ∆𝑣 approaches zero,
we obtain the energy per volume, or energy density, w at the point around
which ∆𝑣 shrinks to zero.
∆𝑊 1
𝑤 = lim = 𝜖𝐸 2 (J𝑚−3)
∆𝑣→0 ∆𝑣 2
• Now the total energy W stored by
the capacitor of Fig. 3-10 will be
given by the integral of the
energy density w over the entire
region in which the electric field
E has a value:
1
𝑊 = 𝑣− 𝑤 𝑑𝑣 = 𝐸𝜖 𝑣2 𝑑𝑣
2
• Where the integration is taken throughout the region between the
plates. For simplicity it is assumed that the field is uniform between
the plates and that there is no fringing of the field at the edges of the
capacitor. Thus evaluating the previous equation,
1 1 1
𝑊 = 𝜖𝐸 2 𝐴𝑙 = 𝐷𝐴𝐸𝑙 = 𝑄𝑉
2 2 2
Where:
A= area of the capacitor plate, 𝑚3
l= spacing between capacitor plates, m
EXAMPLE:
Find the energy density of an electric field having a value of
9𝑥107 V𝑚−1 .
Given:
𝑉
E=9𝑥107 𝑚
a𝜖 = 8.85x10−12
1
Solution: 𝑊 = 𝜖𝐸 2
2
1
W= (8.85x10−12 )(9𝑥107 )2
2
𝐽
W= 35842.5
𝑚3
