Parallel Plate Capacitors and Capacitance.
We studied the uniform electric field created by charged
parallel plates.
We can charge two plates by attaching a battery of voltage . Positive charge accumulates on
one plate while negative charge – accumulates on the other plate.
When fully charged, the voltage between the two plates equals the battery voltage .
The charge remains after the battery is disconnected from the plates. The plates “store” charge.
We call this ability to store charge “capacitance” , and we call this device a “parallel plate capacitor”.
The amount of charge is proportional to the applied battery voltage
[The letter capital C does double duty here as the capacitance and as the coulomb; the book uses
different fonts to distinguish them, I have done the same above. On the chalkboard the distinction may
not be so clear, be careful and rely on context so as not to confuse the two.]
Formula for the capacitance. Suppose the plates have area and are separated by a distance .
From our study of the electric field produced by parallel plates we found that the field strength is
proportional to the surface charge density
From our study of the electric potential of parallel plates we found that
Inserting the preceding expressions for and we find
Comparing this equation to , we see that the capacitance must be
is proportional to area and inversely proportional to the separation.
Size of a parallel plate capacitor. With , what area stores for ?
Note how units cancel since . See Wikipedia article on “Worcester, MA” for the area of
Worcester .
Typical capacitors used in electronic circuits range in size from to .
For the above example, a capacitor would have an area of
about the size of OH 107, the floor of this auditorium! That’s too big for the circuit in your cell phone!
How do we make capacitors small?
1. You can use a smaller spacing However there is a limit to how small you can make the spacing (see
Y&F section 24.4). A typical value is
2. You can insert a material between the plates, a dielectric (an insulator), which becomes polarized and
allows much more charge to be stored for a given voltage , thus increases the capacitance. For
example Mylar (see Y&F table 24.1) increases the capacitance by a factor of
3. You can sandwich layers of metal foil and Mylar and roll them into a cylinder. Since the layers are
incredibly thin, a hundred coils will have a diameter of a few millimeters.
Capacitors in Electric Circuits. Capacitors are used in electrical circuits, in large power distribution
systems to micro-electronics. Their ability to store charge and to be rapidly charged and discharged
makes them a versatile building block for a great variety of applications. In this course we barely scratch
the surface. The condenser microphone (see Y&F figure 24.3) makes it possible for you to enjoy your
favorite recording artists. Where do those thousands of songs stored on your iPods come from?
Let’s study the behavior of simple capacitor circuits involving capacitors arranged in series and parallel.
Capacitors in series have the same current flowing “through” them. As a result, they acquire the same
charge . In general they will not have the same voltage.
Capacitors in parallel see the same applied voltage, and will charge to the same voltage . In general
they will not have the same charge.
These facts, coupled with the additive property of voltages, enable us to determine all of the charges
and voltages in simple capacitor circuits. The first step is to examine a given circuit and identify which
capacitors see the same current (capacitors in series) and which capacitors see the same applied voltage
(capacitors in parallel). Once you have determined this, you can proceed with your analysis.
Two capacitors and are connected in series with a battery . The capacitors acquire the same
unknown charge . We may write their unknown voltages as
The sum of voltages must be , from which we obtain the charge
Other useful forms are (take your pick)
Together, the two series capacitors behave as a single capacitor .
Knowing , we find the voltages
Two capacitors and are connected in parallel with a battery . The capacitors acquire the same
voltage . Their unknown charges are found directly
The total charge stored in the circuit is
and as expected, the equivalent capacitance of the circuit is simply the sum of capacitances.
Equivalent Circuits. When you encounter two or more capacitors in series, you may replace them with
their equivalent capacitor and simplify the circuit.
When you encounter two or more capacitors in parallel, you may replace them with their equivalent.
A little care is required when identifying sets of series and parallel capacitors. Pictures help.
Electric current is a “river” of charges flowing through the circuit. The same river flows through series
capacitors, while different rivers flow through parallel capacitors.
Electric voltage is like height from which the river becomes a water fall. Parallel capacitors have the
same height (same voltage), while series capacitors stack one atop the other so that the total height
(voltage) is the sum of the individual heights.
