22: Capacitors

Energy Stored and Exponential Decay

Paper 2
Q
17: Thermal Physics 1 1. Definition of capacitance: C=
Specific Heat Capacity and Latent Heat V
A ε0 εr
2. Dielectric action in a capacitor C=
18: Thermal Physics 2 d
Gas Laws and the MKTM 3. Relative permittivity and dielectric constant.
4. Students should be able to describe the action of a simple polar molecule
19: Gravitational Fields that rotates in the presence of an electric field.
Field Strength and Potential 5. Interpretation of the area under a graph of charge against pd.
2
1 1 2 1Q
20: Electric Fields 6. E= QV = C V =
2 2 2 C
Fields Strength and Potential
7. Graphical representation of charging and discharging of capacitors through
resistors. Corresponding graphs for Q, V and I against time for charging and
21: Fields Comparisons
Orbits and Comparisons
discharging.
8. Interpretation of gradients and areas under graphs where appropriate.
9. Time constant RC.
22: Capacitors
Energy Stored and Exponential Decay 10. Calculation of time constants including their determination from graphical
data.
23: Magnetic Fields 1
11. Time to halve, T½ = 0.69RC
−t
Magnetic Forces and Flux 12. Quantitative treatment of capacitor discharge, Q=Q e RC
0

24: Magnetic Fields 2

13. Use of the corresponding equations for V and I.
( )
−t
Induction and Transformers 14. Quantitative treatment of capacitor charge, Q=Q 1−e RC
0

25: Radioactivity 1 Required practical 9: Investigation of the charge and discharge of capacitors.
Nuclear Radius and Types of Radiation Analysis techniques should include log-linear plotting leading to a determination of
the time constant, RC
26: Radioactivity 2
Modes and Rate of Decay

27: Nuclear Physics

Binding Energy, Fission and Fusion

Paper 3
28: Electron Discovery
Specific Charge and Millikan

29: Wave-Particle Duality

Waves, Quantum and Microscopes

30: Special Relativity

Michelson-Morley & Relativistic Speed

Monday: Capacitance and Energy Stored Notes

The capacitance of a capacitor is given by the equation:
Q
C=
V

Symbol C Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol Q Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol V Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

What does it mean if a capacitor has a capacitance of 370 μF?
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
Draw a second line on this graph to represent a capacitor of higher capacitance.
What does the gradient of this graph represent?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
How is the energy stored by the capacitor calculated from this graph?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Draw a second line on this graph to represent a capacitor of higher capacitance.

What does the gradient of this graph represent?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
How is the energy stored by the capacitor calculated from this graph?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The energy stored by a charged capacitor can also be calculated by using one of three equations:
2
1 1 2 1Q
E= QV E= C V E=
2 2 2 C
Symbol E Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Symbol Q Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Symbol V Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Symbol C Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Use the diagram to describe how each plate of a capacitor becomes charged.

……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..……………
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……….……………………………….………..….……………………………………..………
……….……………………………….………..….……………………………………..………
……….……………………………….………..….…………………………………………..…

What is produced between the plates when they are charged? ………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
The insulator that is between the plates of a capacitor is called a dielectric.
 Describe what the molecules of the dielectric are like and how they behave
when the capacitor is uncharged.
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Describe how they behave when the capacitor is charged.
Complete the diagram.
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
What is meant by the term ‘permittivity’?
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
The value for the permittivity of free space is …………………………………………………………….
What is meant by the term ‘relative permittivity’ (or dielectric constant)?
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
The relative permittivity of air has a value of ……………………
The capacitance of a capacitor can be calculated using the following equation:
A ε0 εr
C=
d
Symbol A Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Symbol ε 0 Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol ε r Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol d Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

A parallel-plate capacitor is fully charged and then disconnected from the power supply. The initial potential difference was V and
charge was Q before a dielectric was inserted between the plates.
What was the initial field strength between the plates? ………………………………………..........
Since it is isolated, what happens to the charge? ………………………………………..........
What happens to the capacitance of the capacitor? ………………………………………..........
Since Q=VC , what happens to the value of V? ………………………………………..........
What happens to the electric field strength? ………………………………………..........
A parallel-plate capacitor is fully charged and then disconnected from the power supply. The initial potential difference was V and
charge was Q before the distance between the plates is then doubled.
What was the initial field strength between the plates? ………………………………………..........
Since it is isolated, what happens to the charge? ………………………………………..........
What happens to the capacitance of the capacitor? ………………………………………..........
Since Q=VC , what happens to the value of V? ………………………………………..........
What happens to the electric field strength? ………………………………………..........
Tuesday: Capacitor Basics and Energy Stored Exam Questions
Q63. The graph shows how the charge stored by a capacitor varies with the pd applied across it.
 Which line, A to D, in the table gives the capacitance and the energy stored when the potential difference is 5.0 V?
capacitance / μF energy stored / μJ
A 2.0 25
B 2.0 50
C 10.0 25
D 10.0 50
Q64. A 1000 µF capacitor, X, and a 100 µF capacitor, Y, are charged to the same potential difference.
Which row, A to D, in the table gives correct ratios of charge stored and energy stored by the capacitors?

A 1 1
B 1 10
C 10 1
D 10 10
Q65. An initially uncharged capacitor of capacitance 10 µF is charged by a constant current of 200 µA. After what time will the
potential difference across the capacitor be 2000 V?
A 50 s
B 100 s
C 200 s
D 400 s
Q66. A 10 mF capacitor is charged to 10 V and then discharged completely through a small motor. During the process, the motor
lifts a weight of mass 0.10 kg. If 10% of the energy stored in the capacitor is used to lift the weight, through what approximate
height will the weight be lifted?
A 0.05 m
B 0.10 m
C 0.50 m
D 1.00 m
Q67. Which one of the following statements about a parallel plate capacitor is incorrect?
A The capacitance of the capacitor is the amount of charge stored by the capacitor when the pd across the plates is 1V.
B A uniform electric field exists between the plates of the capacitor.
C The charge stored on the capacitor is inversely proportional to the pd across the plates.
D The energy stored when the capacitor is fully charged is proportional to the square of the pd across the plates.
Q76. The graph below shows how the charge stored by a capacitor varies with time when it is discharged through a fixed resistor.
Q76(a) Determine the time constant, in ms, of the discharge circuit.

time constant ............................... ms (3)

Q76(b) Explain why the rate of discharge will be greater if the fixed resistor has a smaller resistance.
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(Total 5 marks)
Q77. The capacitor in the circuit is initially uncharged. The switch S is closed at time t = 0.
Which pair of graphs, A to D, correctly shows how the pd across the capacitor and the current in the circuit change with
time?

(Total 1 mark)
 Wednesday: Capacitors Extended Writing

Discuss the principles involved in the charging and discharging of a simple capacitor. Your discussion should consider:
 An account of what happens during charging and discharging
 A description of how you could accurately find the capacitance of the capacitor by discharging it
 A labelled circuit diagram to support this description.

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Wednesday: Capacitors Definitions

Negative The plate gaining electrons will be left with this charge.

Capacitance The amount of charge it is possible to store per unit of potential difference.

Electric Field This is created in between the plates of a capacitor when the plates are charged.

Gradient On a charge-time graph this represents the current.

Initial Charge In the equation for discharging, Q zero (Q0) represents this.

Dielectric Constant Another term for relative permittivity.

This is the only quantity that changes in the same way with time for both charging and
Current discharging.
Rotate The dielectric molecules do this when a charge is applied to the plates of a capacitor.

Area The capacitance of a capacitor increases when the …….. of the plates is increased.

To The time constant is the time it takes the charge to fall …… 37% of the initial value.

Area Under the Line On a current-time graph this represents the charge.

Permittivity A measure of how difficult it is to generate an electric field in the material.

Maximum Charge In the equation for charging, Q zero (Q0) represents this.

Same as On a graph of Q(y-axis) against V(x-axis) the capacitance is the ………… the gradient.
This describes the structure of the molecules of the insulator between the plates of a
Polar capacitor.
Reciprocal of On a graph of V(y-axis) against Q(x-axis) the capacitance is the ………… the gradient.

Tangent Used to calculate the gradient at a point on a curve.

Initial Charge On a decay graph of ln Q against t the y-intercept in equal to ln …

Time Constant On a decay graph of ln Q against t the gradient is equal to …

Farad A unit equal to one coulomb stored for every volt.

Separation The capacitance of a capacitor decreases when the …….. of the plates is increased.

By The time constant is the time it takes the charge to fall …… 63% of the initial value.

Positive The plate losing electrons will be left with this charge.

Relative Permittivity The ratio of the permittivity of a material to the permittivity of free space.

Area Under the Line On a charge-potential difference graph this represents the energy stored.

Dielectric Another term for the electric insulator between the plates of a capacitor.

Area Dielectric Constant Negative Rotate

Area Under the Line Electric Field Permittivity Same as
Area Under the Line Farad Polar Separation
By Gradient Positive Tangent
Capacitance Initial Charge Reciprocal of Time Constant
Current Initial Charge Relative Permittivity To
Dielectric Maximum Charge

Thursday: Charging and Discharging Notes

Charging Describe what happens when the switch is moved to position A.
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
 ……….……………………………………..…………….………..….……………………
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
Sketch a line on each of the axes below to show how the quantity charges with time since the switch was moved to position A.

Discharging Describe what happens when the switch is moved to position B.

……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
……….……………………………………..…………….………..….……………………
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
……….……………………………….………..….………………………………..………
Sketch a line on each of the axes below to show how the quantity charges with time since the switch was moved to position B.

The time constant is the time it takes for the initial value (Q, V or I) to fall ………………………………………………….……………….
………………………….……………………………………….
What does the gradient of a charge-time graph? ………………………………………………….……………………………….
What does the area under the line of a current-time graph? …………………………………………………………………………………..
The time constant can be calculated by using the following equation:
T =RC

Symbol T Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol R Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol C Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

What do the following symbols represent in the equations for charging and discharging a capacitor?

Symbol t Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol Q Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol R Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Symbol C Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………
Charging
−t / RC −t / RC
Q=Q 0 (1−e ) V =V 0 (1−e )

Quantities with a subscript zero (e.g. Q0) represent ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Complete this table by calculating the missing values.
Q Q0 t R C
4.01 × 10 -6
23.4 220 000 560 × 10-6
31.6 × 10-6 1725 3.3 × 106 0.56 × 10-3
16.2 × 10-9 80.0 × 10-9 15 × 103 180 × 10-6
Discharging
−t / RC −t / RC −t /RC
Q=Q 0 e V =V 0 e I =I 0 e

Quantities with a subscript zero (e.g. Q0) represent ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Complete this table by calculating the missing values.
Q Q0 t R C
4.2 × 10-5 1230 8.2 × 106 100 × 10-6
20.9 × 10-6 0.86 27 0.18
77.9 × 10-3 84.0 × 10-3 10 × 103 56 × 10-2
Starting with an exponential decay equation show that the time taken for Q, V or I to halve is given by: T½ = 0.69RC
Time to Halve

−t / RC
V =V 0 e
Sketch the graph that would be obtained Rearrange the equation, sketch the graph that would be obtained and state what the
by plotting data from the equation above. y-intercept and gradient would represent.

What are the advantages of using a log-linear graph?

………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
………………………………………………………………….…………….……………………………………………………….………………..
Friday: Exponential Decay Exam Questions
Q78. When a capacitor discharges through a resistor it loses 50% of its charge in 10 s. What is the time constant of the capacitor-
resistor circuit?
A 0.5 s
B 5s
C 14 s
D 17 s
 (Total 1 mark)

Q79. A voltage sensor and a datalogger are used to record the discharge of a 10 mF capacitor in series with a 500 Ω resistor from
an initial pd of 6.0 V. The datalogger is capable of recording 1000 readings in 10 s. Which line, A to D, in the table gives the
pd and the number of readings made after a time equal to the time constant of the discharge circuit?

potential difference/V number of readings

A 2.2 50
B 3.8 50
C 3.8 500
D 2.2 500
(Total 1 mark)

Q80. When a 220 μF capacitor is discharged through a resistor R, the capacitor pd decreases from 6.0 V to 1.5 V in 92 s.
What is the resistance of R?
A 210 kΩ
B 300 kΩ
C 420 kΩ
D 440 kΩ (Total 1 mark)

Q81. A 2.0 mF capacitor, used as the backup for a memory unit, has a potential difference of 5.0 V across it when fully charged.
The capacitor is required to supply a constant current of 1.0 µA and can be used until the potential difference across it falls
by 10%. How long can the capacitor be used for before it must be recharged?
A 10 s
B 100 s
C 200 s
D 1000 s
(Total 1 mark)

Q82. The voltage across a capacitor falls from 10 V to 5 V in 48 ms as it discharges through a resistor. What is the time constant
of the circuit?
A 24 ms
B 33 ms
C 69 ms
D 96 ms
(Total 1 mark)

Q83. Switch S in the circuit is held in position 1, so that the capacitor C becomes fully charged to a pd V and stores energy E.
 The switch is then moved quickly to position 2, allowing C to discharge through the fixed resistor R. It takes 36 ms for the pd
V
across C to fall to . What period of time must elapse, after the switch has moved to position 2, before the energy stored
2
E
by C has fallen to ?
16
A 51 ms
B 72 ms
C 432 ms
D 576 ms
(Total 1 mark)

Q84. A capacitor of capacitance 120 μF is charged and then discharged through a 20 kΩ resistor.
What fraction of the original charge remains on the capacitor 4.8 s after the discharge begins?
A 0.14
B 0.37
C 0.63
D 0.86 (Total 1 mark)

Q85. When fully charged the 2.0 mF capacitor used as a backup for a memory unit has a potential difference of 5.0 V across it.
The capacitor is required to supply a constant current of 1.0 μA and can be used until the potential difference across it falls
by 10%. For how long can the capacitor be used before it must be recharged?
A 10 s
B 100 s
C 200 s
D 1000 s (Total 1 mark)
Saturday: Capacitors Checklist
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