Senior High School

Senior High School

Senior High School

General Physics 2
Quarter 3 – Supplementary Materials
Capacitors

Engr. Jeoffna Ruth C. Dasigo

Physics Teacher
General Physics 2
Supplementary Material – Capacitors

What I Need to Know

Learning Competencies:
1. Deduce the effects of simple capacitors (e.g., parallel-plate, spherical, cylindrical) on the
capacitance, charge, and potential difference when the size, potential difference, or charge is
changed. STEM_GP12EMIIId-23
2. Calculate the equivalent capacitance of a network of capacitors connected in series/parallel.
STEM_GP12EMIIId-24
3. Determine the total charge, the charge on, and the potential difference across each capacitor in the
network given the capacitors connected in series/parallel. STEM_GP12EMIIId-25
4. Determine the potential energy stored inside the capacitor given the geometry and the potential
difference across the capacitor. STEM_GP12EMIIId-26
5. Describe the effects of inserting dielectric materials on the capacitance, charge, and electric field of
capacitor. STEM_GP12EMIIId-29
6. Solve problems involving capacitors and dielectrics in contexts such as, but not limited to, charged
plates, batteries, and camera flashlamps. STEM_GP12EMIIId-30

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Deduce the effects of simple capacitors on the capacitance, charge, and potential difference when
the size, potential difference, or charge is changed.
2. Calculate the equivalent capacitance of a network of capacitors connected in series/parallel.
3. Determine the total charge, the charge on, and the potential difference across each capacitor in the
network given the capacitors connected in series/parallel.
4. Determine the potential energy stored inside the capacitor given the geometry and the potential
difference across the capacitor.
5. Describe the effects of inserting dielectric materials on the capacitance, charge, and electric field of
capacitor.
6. Solve problems involving capacitors and dielectrics in contexts such as, but not limited to, charged
plates, batteries, and camera flashlamps.

Lesson 1: Capacitors and Capacitance

What Is It?
The capacitor is a device in which electrical energy can be stored.
It is an arrangement of two-conductor generally carrying charges of equal
magnitudes and opposite sign and separated by an insulating medium. The
non-conductive region can either be an electric insulator or vacuum such
as glass, paper, air or semi-conductor called as a dielectric.

What are Capacitors Used For?

• Storing electric potential energy such as batteries.
• Filtering out unwanted frequency signals
• Delaying voltage changes when coupled with
resistors.
• Used as a sensing device.
• Used in the audio system of the vehicle.
• Used to separate AC and DC.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 21

One of the conductors has a positive charge +Q and it is at potential +V. whereas the other has an equal
negative charge, -Q and is at potential –V.

Charge on Capacitor
Charge on the capacitor is Q. Total charge/ the net charge on the capacitor is –Q + Q = 0.

Circuit Symbols

Capacitance
Capacitance is the electrical property of a capacitor and is the measure of a capacitors ability to
store an electrical charge onto its two plates with the unit of capacitance being the Farad (abbreviated to F)
named after the British physicist Michael Faraday. It is defined as being that a capacitor has the capacitance
of One Farad when a charge of One Coulomb is stored on the plates by a voltage of One volt. Note that
capacitance, C is always positive in value and has no negative units. However, the Farad is a very large unit
of measurement to use on its own so sub-multiples of the Farad are generally used such as micro-farads,
nano-farads and pico-farads, for example.

The charge on the capacitor (Q) is directly proportional to the potential difference (V) between the
plates i.e.
QαV or Q = CV
The constant of proportionality (C) is termed as the capacitance of the capacitor.

Commonly Used Scales

• 𝜇𝐹 = 10−6 𝐹
• 𝑛𝐹 = 10−9 𝐹
• 𝑝𝐹 = 10−12 𝐹

Types of Capacitors
a. Parallel Plate Capacitor
The parallel plate capacitor consists of two metal plates of Area, A and is separated by a distance
d. The plate on the top is given a charge +Q and that at the bottom is given the charge –Q. A potential
difference of V is developed between the plates.
The separation is very small compared to the dimensions of the plate so that the effect of bending
outward of electric field lines at the edges and the non-uniformity of surface charge density at the edges can
be ignored.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 22

The capacitance for a parallel-plate capacitor is calculated with the formula
𝜀0 𝐴
𝐶=
𝑑
For other medium, then capacitance will be
𝑘𝜀0 𝐴
𝐶=
𝑑

where k is the dielectric constant of the medium,

𝐶2
𝜀0 = 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 = 8.85 𝑥10−12
𝑁𝑚2
If there is vacuum between the plates, k=1.

Examples:
1. A capacitor is constructed from two conductive metal plates 30cm x 50cm which are spaced 6mm
apart from each other and uses dry air as its only dielectric material. Calculate the capacitance of
the capacitor.
Solution:
𝐴
Use this formula: 𝐶 = 𝜀𝑜
𝑑
where: 𝜀𝑜 = 8.85 𝑥 10−12
A = 0.3 x 0.5m2
d = 6 x10-3 m
8.85 𝑥10−12 (0.3 𝑥 0.5𝑚2 )
Then, 𝐶= = 0.2213 𝑛𝐹
6𝑥10−3 𝑚

So, the value of the capacitor consisting of two plates separated by air is calculated as 221pF or 0.221nF.

2. Determine the amount of charge stored on either plate of a capacitor (4x10 -6 F) when connected
across a 12-volt battery.
Solution:
𝑄
Use this formula: 𝐶=
𝑉
𝑄
4𝑥10−6 =
12 𝑉
𝑄 = 48 𝑥 10−6 𝐶
What’s More?
Activity 4.1.1 Capacitor Lab

Go to this link: http://bit.ly/3kdiwnr

In this activity, you will investigate the relationships between the important parameters that affect
the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor. Begin by making adjustments:

• Charge the capacitor by adjusting the battery voltage.

• Click the box to view the field lines.
• Notice how the direction of the field is based on the polarity of the battery.
• Use the voltmeter to measure the voltage across the plates.
• Change the plate area.
• Change the plate separation.

Draw a sketch of the set-up in your notebook (Screenshot for online students). Use the other meters to
help answer the following questions and record the data you collect.

1. Use the capacitance to view the capacitance of the device. Which of the controllable parameters
affect the capacitance?

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 23

 2. Using the stored energy meter, determine which of the controllable parameters affect the stored
energy.
3. Using the plate charge meter, determine which of the controllable parameters affect the stored
energy.
4. Set the battery voltage to +1.5 volts, the plate separation to 5.0 mm, and the plate area to 100.0
mm^2. Calculate the capacitance, plate charge, and stored energy (use the energy equation
U=(1/2)CV2) to verify that the values match those shown on the meters.

b. Spherical Capacitor
Let’s consider a spherical capacitor that consists of two concentric spherical shells. Suppose the
radius of the inner sphere, Rin = a and radius of the outer sphere, Rout = b. The inner shell is given a positive
charge +Q and the outer shell is given –Q.

The potential difference,

𝑞 −𝑞
𝑉= +
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑘𝑎 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑘𝑏

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 24

Formulas:
Potential Difference
𝑞 𝑏−𝑎
𝑉= [ ]
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑘 𝑎𝑏
Capacitance
𝑏𝑎
𝐶 = 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑘 [ ] 𝐹𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑
𝑏−𝑎

c. Cylindrical Capacitor
Consider a solid cylinder of radius, a surrounded by a cylindrical shell, b. The length of the cylinder
is l and is much larger than a-b to avoid edge effects. The capacitor is charged so that the charge on the
inner cylinder is +Q and the outer cylinder is –Q.

The potential difference of Cylindrical Capacitor is given by,

𝜆 𝑏
∆𝑉 = 𝑉𝑏 − 𝑉𝑎 = − ln ( )
2𝜋𝜀0 𝑎
Where we have chosen the integration path to be along the direction of the electric field lines. As expected,
the outer conductor with negative charge has a lower potential. That gives
𝑄 2𝜋𝜀0 𝐿
𝐶= =
|∆𝑉| ln (𝑏 )
𝑎
Once again, we see that the capacitance C depends only on the geometrical L, a, and b.

What I Have Learned

Activity 4.1.2 Answer as required.

Deduce the effects of simple capacitors on the capacitance, charge, and potential difference when
the (a) size, (b) potential difference, or (c) charge is changed.

1. Parallel-plate Capacitor
2. Cylindrical Capacitor
3. Spherical Capacitor

What I Can Do
Activity 4.1.3 Solve the given problems and show your solution.

1. A parallel plate air capacitor is made using two plates 0.4m square, spaced 1.4 cm apart. It is
connected to a 55V battery.
a) What is the capacitance?
b) What is the charge on each plate?

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 25

 c) What is the electric field between two plates?
d) If the battery is disconnected and then the plates are pulled apart to a separation of 2cm, what
are the answers to the above parts?

2. A parallel plate conductor connected in the battery with a plate area of 4.0 cm2 and plate separation
is of 3.4mm if the charge stored on the plate is 4.0pF. Calculate the voltage of the battery?

Factors that affect the Capacitance of Capacitor

1. Area of Plates
Capacitance is directly proportional to the physical size of the plates as determined by the plate
area, A. A larger plate area produces a larger capacitance and a smaller capacitance.

2. Plates of Separation
Capacitance is inversely proportional to the distance between the plates. The plate separation
is designated d, as shown.

3. Dielectric Constant of Materials

The insulating material between the plates of a capacitor is called the dielectric. Dielectric materials
tend to reduce the voltage between plates for a given charge and thus increase the capacitance. If
the voltage is fixed, more charge can be stored due to the presence of a dielectric than can be stored without
a dielectric. The measure of a material’s ability to establish an electric field is called dielectric constant or
relative permittivity, symbolized by ∈r.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 26

Below is given some common dielectric materials and typical dielectric constants for each. Values can
vary because they depend on the specific composition of the material.

Material Typical 𝜀𝑟 values

Air 1.0
Teflon 2.0
Paper 2.5
Oil 4.0
Mica 5.0
Glass 7.5
Ceramic 1200

The dielectric constant 𝜀𝑟 is dimensionless because it is a relative measure. It is a ratio of the absolute
permittivity of a material, 𝜀𝑟 , to the absolute permittivity of a vacuum, 𝜀𝑜 , as expressed by the following
formula:
𝜀
𝜀𝑟 =
𝜀𝑜

The value of 𝜀𝑜 is 8.85×10-12 F/m.

Capacitor with Solid as its Dielectric

Another way of expressing the capacitance of a capacitor is:
𝐴
𝐶 = 𝜀𝑜 𝜀𝑟
𝑑
where:
ε0 (epsilon) is the value of the permittivity for air which is 8.84 x 10-12 F/m
εr is the permittivity of the dielectric medium used between the two plates

Examples:
1. A capacitor is constructed from two conductive metal plates 30cm x 50cm which are spaced 6mm
apart from each other and uses dry air as its only dielectric material. Calculate the capacitance of
the capacitor.
Solution:
𝐴
Use this formula: 𝐶 = 𝜀𝑜
𝑑
where: 𝜀𝑜 = 8.85 𝑥 10−12
A = 0.3 x 0.5m2
d = 6 x10-3 m
8.85 𝑥10−12 (0.3 𝑥 0.5𝑚2 )
Then, 𝐶= = 0.2213 𝑛𝐹
6𝑥10−3 𝑚
So, the value of the capacitor consisting of two plates separated by air is calculated as 221pF or 0.221nF.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 27

 2. Determine the amount of charge stored on either plate of a capacitor (4x10 -6 F) when connected
across a 12-volt battery.
Solution:
𝑄
Use this formula: 𝐶=
𝑉
𝑄
4𝑥10−6 =
12 𝑉
𝑄 = 48 𝑥 10−6 𝐶

Lesson 2: Capacitors in Series and Parallel Connection

What Is It?
Multiple capacitors can be combined in series or parallel to create a combined equivalent capacitance.

Capacitors in Parallel
When capacitors are placed in parallel with one another the total capacitance is simply the sum of
all capacitances.

Example:
If you had three capacitors of values 10µF, 1µF, and 0.1µF in parallel, the total capacitance would be?

Answer:
𝐶𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 10𝜇𝐹 + 1𝜇𝐹 + 0.1𝜇𝐹 = 11.1 𝜇𝐹

Capacitors in Series
The total capacitance of N capacitors in series is the inverse of the sum of all inverse capacitances.

If you only have two capacitors in series, you can use the "product-over-sum" method to calculate the total
capacitance:

Taking that equation even further, if you have two equal-valued capacitors in series, the total capacitance is
half of their value.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 28

Example:
Two 10F supercapacitors in series will produce a total capacitance of?
Answer:
10𝐹 𝑥 10𝐹
𝑪𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 = =𝟓𝑭
10𝐹 + 10𝐹
10𝐹
Or simply: 𝐶𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = =5𝐹
2
Note that this formula is only applicable to two capacitors with the same value.

What’s More
Activity 4.2.1 Calculate the total capacitance of the capacitors stated in the problem and show your
solution.

1. What is the total capacitance of the capacitors in the given circuit?

2. How much is CEQ for two 0.2- 𝜇F capacitors in series?

3. How much is CEQ for 100 pF in series with 50 pF?
4. In the following circuit the capacitors, C1, C2 and C3 are all connected together in a parallel
branch between points A and B as shown. Find the total capacitance.

5. Find the total capacitance of the circuit shown below.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 29

Division of Voltage across Unequal Capacitances
In series, the voltage across each C is inversely proportional to its capacitance, as illustrated in Fig.
16–24. The smaller capacitance has the larger proportion of the applied voltage. The reason is that the series
capacitances all have the same charge because they are in one current path. With equal charge, a smaller
capacitance has a greater potential difference.

We can consider the amount of charge in the series capacitors in Fig. 16–24. Let the charging
current be 600 𝜇A flowing for 1.0 s. The charge Q36equals I x t or 600 𝜇C. Both C1 and C2 have Q equal to
600 𝜇C because they are in the same series path for charging current.
Although the charge is the same in C 1 and C2, they have different voltages because of different
capacitance values. For each capacitor, V = Q / C. For the two capacitors in Fig. 16–24, then,

What I Have Learned

Activity 4.2.2 Answer as required and show your solution.

1.
a. how much voltage is across each individual capacitor?
b. how much charge is stored by C1?
c. how much charge is stored by C2?
d. how much charge is stored by C3?
e. what is the total charge stored by all capacitors?
f. how much is CT?

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 30

2. Assume a charging current of 180 𝜇A flows for 1.0
s. (1 Ampere = 1 Coulomb per second) Solve for
a. CEQ.
b. the charge stored by C1, C2, and C3.
c. the voltage across C1, C2, and C3.
d. the total charge stored by all capacitors.

Lesson 3: Energy Stored in Electrostatic Field of

Capacitance
What Is It?
The electrostatic field of the charge stored in a dielectric has electric energy supplied by the voltage
source that charges C. This energy is stored in the dielectric. The proof is the fact that the capacitance can
produce discharge current when the voltage source is removed. The electric energy stored is

where C is the capacitance in farads, V is the voltage across the capacitor, and is the electric energy in
joules. For example, a 1- 𝜇 F capacitor charged to 400 V has stored energy equal to

This 0.08 J of energy is supplied by the voltage source that charges the capacitor to 400 V. When
the charging circuit is opened, the stored energy remains as charge in the dielectric. With a closed path
provided for discharge, the entire 0.08 J is available to produce discharge current. As the capacitor
discharges, the energy is used in producing discharge current. When the capacitor is completely discharged,
the stored energy is zero.
The stored energy is the reason that a charged capacitor can produce an electric shock, even when
not connected in a circuit. When you touch the two leads of the charged capacitor, its voltage produces
discharge current through your body. Stored energy greater than 1 J can be dangerous from a capacitor
charged to a voltage high enough to produce an electric shock.

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 31

Example:
1. The high-voltage circuit for a color picture tube can have 30 kV across 500 pF of C. Calculate
the stored energy.
Solution:

What I Have Learned

Activity 4.3.1 Solve the following.
1.How much energy is stored by a 100- 𝜇F capacitor which is charged to
a. 5 V?
b. 10 V?
c. 50 V?
2.How much energy is stored by a 0.027- 𝜇F capacitor which is charged to
a. 20 V?
b. 100 V?
c. 500 V?

What I Can Do
Activity 4.3.2 Critical Thinking

1. Three capacitors in series have a combined equivalent capacitance CEQ of 1.6 nF. If C1= 4C2 and
C3 =20C1, calculate the values for C1, C2, and C3.

References:
Capacitor and Capacitance| byjus.com/jee/capacitor-types-and-capacitance/
How Stuff Works | Electronics, electronics.howstuffworks.com
Electronics Tutorials | Capacitors, www.electronics-tutorials.ws
Spark Fun | Capacitors, learn.sparkfun.com
Physics About physicsabout.com/capacitance
Byju’s byjus.com/spherical-capacitor-formula
Physics Prep www.physics-prep.com
Grob’s Basic Electronics | Mitchel E. Schultz pp. 473-475

General Physics 2 – Quarter 3 32