Questions tagged [capacitance]
The ability of an object to store electric charge.
135
questions
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Field between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor using Gauss's Law
Consider the following parallel plate capacitor made of two plates with equal area $A$ and equal surface charge density $\sigma$:
The electric field due to the positive plate is
$$\frac{\sigma}{\...
12
votes
3answers
5k views
A problem of missing energy when charging a second capacitor
A capacitor is charged. It is then connected to an identical uncharged capacitor using superconducting wires. Each capacitor has 1/2 the charge as the original, so 1/4 the energy - so we only have 1/2 ...
17
votes
3answers
126k views
What is the electric field in a parallel plate capacitor?
When we find the electric field between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor we assume that the electric field from both plates is $${\bf E}=\frac{\sigma}{2\epsilon_0}\hat{n.}$$ The factor of two ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Capacitor in a dielectric fluid
In the above problem, it states that the dielectric fluid is "pulled up" by an electric force. However, I don't see why this should be true. The electric field (and therefore any electric force) ...
7
votes
4answers
280 views
Why are the two outer charge densities on a system of parallel charged plates identical?
One of the ways examiners torture students is by asking them to calculate charge distributions and potentials for systems of charged parallel plates like this:
the ellipsis is meant to indicate any ...
14
votes
5answers
1k views
Where's the energy in a boosted capacitor?
Suppose I look at a parallel plate capacitor in its rest frame and calculate the electrostatic energy, $E$.
Next, I look at the same capacitor in a primed frame boosted in the direction perpendicular ...
9
votes
4answers
10k views
Capacitor with different charges on each plate
I am confused as to whether/how capacitance changes when each plate has a different charge. For example, consider a coaxial cable and put $20Q$ on the outer cable, and $-Q$ on the inner. Or how about ...
1
vote
0answers
135 views
What is the capacity of this circuit? [duplicate]
I simply can't figure out what the capacity of this circuit is.
I can do the math myself, I just need a hint how to create an equivalent circuit where it is obvious what is parallel and what is in ...
18
votes
5answers
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What is the difference between a battery and a charged capacitor?
What is the difference between a battery and a charged capacitor?
I can see lot of similarities between capacitor and battery. In both these charges are separated and When not connected in a circuit ...
6
votes
3answers
7k views
Energy loss in Capacitors
We have this formula in our textbook for loss of energy when two capacitors are connected together. They mention that it is due to heat dissipation. However, we have not considered any such term in ...
2
votes
3answers
424 views
Why does a $1/2$ appear in this simple capacitor equation?
The maximum energy stored by a capacitor is when it's (theoretically) fully charged or just before it reaches dielectric breakdown, if you will.
It seems, then, that the maximum energy ($E$) $=QV$ ...
5
votes
3answers
6k views
Capacitance of a single charged plate?
Lets say we have a single plate that has a charge of $+Q$ on it. A plate with charge $-Q$ is infinite distance away. Will the plate with $+Q$ have a capacitance associated with it? Why or why not? I ...
6
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3answers
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Capacitance of two non parallel plates
What is the formula for capacitance of two non parallel plates at an angle with each other?If the plates were parallel then the value can be calculated as
(PermittivityX area of one plate)/distance ...
10
votes
4answers
3k views
Where does the extra energy come from in an LC circuit?
In an LC circuit, or an LC tank, the capacitor discharges in one direction
through an inductor and then the inductor seems to carry energy in the form of a magnetic field , to charge the capacitor ...
7
votes
5answers
12k views
Is a capacitor in an open circuit charged?
Say I have a circuit consisting of a battery, a wire, an open switch, and a capacitor. The circuit is open since the switch is open.
My book says that the capacitor will only be charged when the ...
6
votes
4answers
5k views
Attractive force between capacitor plates
A textbook question requires me to calculate the force of attraction between plates of a parallel-plate capacitor. The answer provided is $\frac{1}{2}QE$.
I am not entirely sure how they arrived at ...
2
votes
4answers
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Force between the plates of a capacitor
As we know that the electric field between two parallel plates of a capacitor is $$E=\frac{\sigma}{\epsilon_0}$$, so the magnitude of force exerted by one plate on the other should have been $$F=QE$$. ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Magnetic field in a capacitor
If in a flat capacitor, formed by two circular armatures of radius $R$, placed at a distance $d$, where $R$ and $d$ are expressed in metres (m), a variable potential difference is applied to the ...
1
vote
3answers
296 views
I wonder why I cannot charge a capacitor with alternating current?
Why can't I charge the capacitor with AC? How do the plates block the flow of electrons with DC but not with AC.
Somebody told me that the DC is blocked by the capacitor, so the capacitor gets charge,...
0
votes
4answers
722 views
Capacitor discharging through no load?
What exactly would happen in the ideal case where a capacitor were to discharge into a wire with zero resistance?
Like in here:
There is still charge on one plate of the capacitor, which will try to ...
5
votes
1answer
20k views
Capacitance of spherical capacitor when earthed [closed]
The capacitance of a spherical capacitor is given by $$C=\frac{4\pi \varepsilon_{0}}{\left ( \frac{1}{a}-\frac{1}{b} \right )}$$
How can I find out the capacitance of the capacitor when
The inner ...
12
votes
4answers
12k views
Will a charged capacitor discharge if one lead is connected to ground?
If I charge a capacitor and connect one lead to ground keeping the other lead floating, will the capacitor discharge ?
...
8
votes
1answer
3k views
$Q$ factor of parallel RLC circuit in series with a capacitor and resistor
I know that for parallel RLC circuits, the $Q$ factor is given by:
$$ Q = R \sqrt {\frac{C}{L}} $$
But now suppose it is connected in series to a resistor $R_2$ and capacitor $C_2$. Would the $Q$ ...
2
votes
4answers
11k views
Capacitor Charging and Discharging when connected to the ground
When we charge a capacitor using a battery and then remove the battery, the plates of capacitor becomes charged. One holds positive charge and the other one gets equal negative charge. o. k. ?
Now ...
7
votes
2answers
755 views
Why do the charges on a parallel plate capacitor lie only on the inner surface?
In most pictures I've seen of parallel plate capacitors, charges are drawn so that they're entirely on the inner surface of the plates.
I accept that there can't be any net charge within the ...
5
votes
2answers
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What's the purpose of capacitors in parallel
In my school textbook it is written that the capacitor acts as a filter, that is, it decreases the fluctuations in the potential difference across the load.
But since all the components are ...
3
votes
2answers
11k views
Energy changes due increasing plate separation of unconnected charged capacitor
If a capacitor is charged by a source with constant voltage, $V$, the energy, $W$, stored by a capacitor of capacitance $C$ is given by:
$$
W = \frac{1}{2} QV = \frac{1}{2} V^{2}C = \frac{Q^{2}}{2C}
$...
0
votes
3answers
9k views
Charge On parallel plate capacitor?
Suppose if we supply two plates of parallel plate capacitor with charges $Q_1$ and $Q_2$.What would be the charge of the capacitor?
As the field inside plate should be zero and hence using gauss law I ...
0
votes
2answers
4k views
Electric Field from charged sphere within another charged sphere does not reinforce?
Lets say I have a positively charged conducting sphere of Q. The electric field outside the sphere is
$$E = \frac Q{4\epsilon\pi r^2}.$$
Now suppose this sphere is enclosed inside another hollow ...
5
votes
2answers
4k views
What physical properties of materials trigger the capacitive touch screen?
I have watched some youtube videos about capacitive touch screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHzaVzYEZbw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCE18RMEeQ
The videos show that a conductor(finger), in ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
The moving capacitor
To what extent can a charged capacitor mounted on a moving platform (e.g. a rotating wheel) be considered an electric current generator? Electric current, after all, is nothing more than the transport ...
3
votes
4answers
840 views
Capacitor connected to battery at one end
I was recently solving a problem that involved a circuit with a capacitor that was connected to a battery at one end(the second plate just had a wire which didnt lead anywhere).Ā
In the solutions it ...
2
votes
4answers
4k views
What happens in a circuit, when the wire and the battery are superconducting. And shorted
When a wire with no resistance is connected to the terminals of an ideal battery, will a current exist in the circuit? If a capacitor is added to the circuit, will it be charged by the battery or will ...
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vote
2answers
2k views
Potential difference between two assymetrically charged plates
What is the potential diff between two plates of charges $q_1$ and $q_2$ ($q_1$ $>$ $q_2$)? I know the equation is $V = \frac{q_1-q_2}{2C}$ where $C$ is the capacitance of the system but how has ...
0
votes
2answers
700 views
Proving electric field constant between two charged infinite parallel plates
It is known that the electric field intensity between two infinitely long charged parallel plates is constant.
I had read that one explanation is that if a test charge is placed between the plates, ...
0
votes
3answers
25k views
Why does the area of the plates affect the capacitance?
Why does the area of the plates affect the capacitance? Lets say I have a parallel plate capacitor with a charge of 10C and a potential difference of 5V. By the definition $C=Q/V$, the capacitance is ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
Why can rolled up capacitors be modelled as flat parallel plates?
If you have two parallel plates of opposite charge with a dielectric in between, then
Capacitance $$ C = \dfrac{A \epsilon_{0}}{d} K$$
Where $ K $ is the dielectric constant.
This is used to calculate ...
3
votes
2answers
563 views
Why is an $LC$ oscillator lossless, but $C V^2 / 2$ energy is lost to a capacitor connected to an ideal voltage source?
It is mathematically proven that in an $LC$ oscillation that all the energy gets transferred from the inductor to the capacitor and vice versa.
There is no energy loss as there is no load in the ...
2
votes
3answers
5k views
Why capacitor pass AC and block DC current? [duplicate]
We know that in circuit capacitor block the DC current and pass AC current. My question is how a capacitor block DC and pass AC?
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vote
1answer
1k views
Charging a capacitor (terminals)
When a battery is connected to a conductor electrons are repelled from the end of the conductor connected to the negative terminal of the battery and flow to the end of the conductor connected to the ...
1
vote
1answer
375 views
Why don't charges build up on wires like plates of a capacitor?
Suppose you have a parallel plate capacitor and you want to charge it by using a battery. You will connect the plates with the two terminals of the battery. Now my book says that the charges will get ...
1
vote
1answer
124 views
Proof that elastance matrix is invertible
I was reading this lecture notes from MIT OCW on capacitance .
It says
$V_i =\sum_j P_{ij}Q_{j} $ where the constants $P_{ij}$ are determined
by the geometry of the conductors. This matrix can ...
1
vote
4answers
9k views
Energy dissipated when two charged capacitors are connected in parallel
The question at hand is:
"Two capacitors of capacitances $C_1$ and $C_1$ have charge $Q_1$ and $Q_2$. How much energy, $\Delta w$, is dissipated when they are connected in parallel. Show explicitly ...
1
vote
2answers
914 views
Physical explanation for capacitive circuit
In capacitive circuit, the voltage and current are out of phase. the current leads the voltage by 90 degrees. this can be explained by these two equations:
$$V = V_{\max} \sin \omega t$$
$$I = I_{\...
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votes
1answer
3k views
What will happen if a conductor is introduced instead of a dielectric medium in parallel plate capacitor?
If a conductor like copper is placed between two plates of a parallel plate conductor,neither touching any of them, what will happen to the capacitance of the capacitor?
0
votes
1answer
69 views
Why do capacitors in a dielectric have the same charge as without the dielectric [closed]
If you imagine a dielectric of height $d$ and dielectric constant $\kappa$ placed evenly in a capacitor of height $D$. We define $\Delta x = \frac{D-d}{2}$.
The equivalent capacitance is now
$$\...
0
votes
1answer
7k views
Capacitor charging, work done by battery on changing polarity
A uncharged capacitor $C$ is connected to a battery with potential $V$. It becomes fully charged and has a charge $Q=CV$ stored on it.
Now the polarity of the battery is reversed. The capacitor will ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
The separation between the two plates of a capacitor is increased
I had the following question on a quiz recently:
A capacitor consisting of two parallel plates, separated by a distance $d$, is connected to a battery of EMF Īµ. What happens if the separation is ...
0
votes
2answers
616 views
Is $Q=CV$ still acceptable formular on the capacitor charged by the transformed circuit?
Assume there is a 100V to 1000V transformer and the capacitor connected in the second circuit.(You know, transformers have two circuits)
The second circuit's voltage is 1000V, but the amount current ...
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votes
2answers
810 views
Charge between parallel plates given voltage
When you connect a parallel-plates capacitor to a voltage source, why is it assumed that the plates will have equal but opposite charge?
According to the formula, the voltage only fixes the charge ...
