<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >

Phet explorations: capacitor lab

Explore how a capacitor works! Change the size of the plates and add a dielectric to see the effect on capacitance. Change the voltage and see charges built up on the plates. Observe the electric field in the capacitor. Measure the voltage and the electric field.

Capacitor Lab

Section summary

  • A capacitor is a device used to store charge.
  • The amount of charge Q size 12{Q} {} a capacitor can store depends on two major factors—the voltage applied and the capacitor’s physical characteristics, such as its size.
  • The capacitance C size 12{C} {} is the amount of charge stored per volt , or
    C = Q V . size 12{C=Q/V} {}
  • The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is C = ε 0 A d size 12{C=e rSub { size 8{0} } A/d} {} , when the plates are separated by air or free space. ε 0 is called the permittivity of free space.
  • A parallel plate capacitor with a dielectric between its plates has a capacitance given by
    C = κε 0 A d , size 12{C=e rSub { size 8{0} } A/d} {}
    where κ is the dielectric constant of the material.
  • The maximum electric field strength above which an insulating material begins to break down and conduct is called dielectric strength.

Conceptual questions

Does the capacitance of a device depend on the applied voltage? What about the charge stored in it?

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Use the characteristics of the Coulomb force to explain why capacitance should be proportional to the plate area of a capacitor. Similarly, explain why capacitance should be inversely proportional to the separation between plates.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Give the reason why a dielectric material increases capacitance compared with what it would be with air between the plates of a capacitor. What is the independent reason that a dielectric material also allows a greater voltage to be applied to a capacitor? (The dielectric thus increases C size 12{C} {} and permits a greater V size 12{V} {} .)

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

How does the polar character of water molecules help to explain water’s relatively large dielectric constant? ( [link] )

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Sparks will occur between the plates of an air-filled capacitor at lower voltage when the air is humid than when dry. Explain why, considering the polar character of water molecules.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Water has a large dielectric constant, but it is rarely used in capacitors. Explain why.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Membranes in living cells, including those in humans, are characterized by a separation of charge across the membrane. Effectively, the membranes are thus charged capacitors with important functions related to the potential difference across the membrane. Is energy required to separate these charges in living membranes and, if so, is its source the metabolization of food energy or some other source?

Got questions? Get instant answers now!
The semipermeable membrane of a cell is shown, with different concentrations of potassium cations, sodium cations, and chloride anions inside and outside the cell. The ions are represented by small, colored circles. In its resting state, the cell membrane is permeable to potassium and chloride ions, but it is impermeable to sodium ions. By diffusion, potassium cations travel out of the cell, going through the cell membrane and forming a layer of positive charge on the outer surface of the membrane. By diffusion, chloride anions go into the cell, going through the cell membrane and forming a layer of negative charge on the inner surface of the membrane. As a result, a voltage is set up across the cell membrane. The Coulomb force prevents all the ions from crossing the membrane.
The semipermeable membrane of a cell has different concentrations of ions inside and out. Diffusion moves the K + (potassium) and Cl (chloride) ions in the directions shown, until the Coulomb force halts further transfer. This results in a layer of positive charge on the outside, a layer of negative charge on the inside, and thus a voltage across the cell membrane. The membrane is normally impermeable to Na + (sodium ions).

Problems&Exercises

What charge is stored in a 180 µF size 12{"190" µF} {} capacitor when 120 V is applied to it?

21 . 6 mC size 12{"21" "." 6" mC"} {}

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Find the charge stored when 5.50 V is applied to an 8.00 pF capacitor.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

What charge is stored in the capacitor in [link] ?

80 . 0 mC size 12{"80" "." 0" mC"} {}

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Calculate the voltage applied to a 2 . 00 µF size 12{2 "." "00" mF} {} capacitor when it holds 3 . 10 µC size 12{3 "." "10" mC} {} of charge.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

What voltage must be applied to an 8.00 nF capacitor to store 0.160 mC of charge?

20.0 kV

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

What capacitance is needed to store 3 . 00 µC size 12{3 "." "00" mC} {} of charge at a voltage of 120 V?

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

What is the capacitance of a large Van de Graaff generator’s terminal, given that it stores 8.00 mC of charge at a voltage of 12.0 MV?

667 pF size 12{"667"" pF"} {}

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Find the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor having plates of area 5 . 00 m 2 size 12{5 "." "00"`m rSup { size 8{2} } } {} that are separated by 0.100 mm of Teflon.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

(a)What is the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor having plates of area 1.50 m 2 size 12{m rSup { size 8{2} } } {} that are separated by 0.0200 mm of neoprene rubber? (b) What charge does it hold when 9.00 V is applied to it?

(a) 4 . 4 µF size 12{4 "." "4 "mF} {}

(b) 4 . 0 × 10 5 C size 12{4 "." 0 times "10" rSup { size 8{ - 5} } " C"} {}

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Integrated Concepts

A prankster applies 450 V to an 80 . 0 µF size 12{"80" "." 0 mF} {} capacitor and then tosses it to an unsuspecting victim. The victim’s finger is burned by the discharge of the capacitor through 0.200 g of flesh. What is the temperature increase of the flesh? Is it reasonable to assume no phase change?

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Unreasonable Results

(a) A certain parallel plate capacitor has plates of area 4.00 m 2 size 12{m rSup { size 8{2} } } {} , separated by 0.0100 mm of nylon, and stores 0.170 C of charge. What is the applied voltage? (b) What is unreasonable about this result? (c) Which assumptions are responsible or inconsistent?

(a) 14.2 kV

(b) The voltage is unreasonably large, more than 100 times the breakdown voltage of nylon.

(c) The assumed charge is unreasonably large and cannot be stored in a capacitor of these dimensions.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Questions & Answers

differentiate between demand and supply giving examples
Lambiv Reply
differentiated between demand and supply using examples
Lambiv
what is labour ?
Lambiv
how will I do?
Venny Reply
how is the graph works?I don't fully understand
Rezat Reply
information
Eliyee
devaluation
Eliyee
t
WARKISA
hi guys good evening to all
Lambiv
multiple choice question
Aster Reply
appreciation
Eliyee
explain perfect market
Lindiwe Reply
In economics, a perfect market refers to a theoretical construct where all participants have perfect information, goods are homogenous, there are no barriers to entry or exit, and prices are determined solely by supply and demand. It's an idealized model used for analysis,
Ezea
What is ceteris paribus?
Shukri Reply
other things being equal
AI-Robot
When MP₁ becomes negative, TP start to decline. Extuples Suppose that the short-run production function of certain cut-flower firm is given by: Q=4KL-0.6K2 - 0.112 • Where is quantity of cut flower produced, I is labour input and K is fixed capital input (K-5). Determine the average product of lab
Kelo
Extuples Suppose that the short-run production function of certain cut-flower firm is given by: Q=4KL-0.6K2 - 0.112 • Where is quantity of cut flower produced, I is labour input and K is fixed capital input (K-5). Determine the average product of labour (APL) and marginal product of labour (MPL)
Kelo
yes,thank you
Shukri
Can I ask you other question?
Shukri
what is monopoly mean?
Habtamu Reply
What is different between quantity demand and demand?
Shukri Reply
Quantity demanded refers to the specific amount of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a give price and within a specific time period. Demand, on the other hand, is a broader concept that encompasses the entire relationship between price and quantity demanded
Ezea
ok
Shukri
how do you save a country economic situation when it's falling apart
Lilia Reply
what is the difference between economic growth and development
Fiker Reply
Economic growth as an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services within an economy.but Economic development as a broader concept that encompasses not only economic growth but also social & human well being.
Shukri
production function means
Jabir
What do you think is more important to focus on when considering inequality ?
Abdisa Reply
any question about economics?
Awais Reply
sir...I just want to ask one question... Define the term contract curve? if you are free please help me to find this answer 🙏
Asui
it is a curve that we get after connecting the pareto optimal combinations of two consumers after their mutually beneficial trade offs
Awais
thank you so much 👍 sir
Asui
In economics, the contract curve refers to the set of points in an Edgeworth box diagram where both parties involved in a trade cannot be made better off without making one of them worse off. It represents the Pareto efficient allocations of goods between two individuals or entities, where neither p
Cornelius
In economics, the contract curve refers to the set of points in an Edgeworth box diagram where both parties involved in a trade cannot be made better off without making one of them worse off. It represents the Pareto efficient allocations of goods between two individuals or entities,
Cornelius
Suppose a consumer consuming two commodities X and Y has The following utility function u=X0.4 Y0.6. If the price of the X and Y are 2 and 3 respectively and income Constraint is birr 50. A,Calculate quantities of x and y which maximize utility. B,Calculate value of Lagrange multiplier. C,Calculate quantities of X and Y consumed with a given price. D,alculate optimum level of output .
Feyisa Reply
Answer
Feyisa
c
Jabir
the market for lemon has 10 potential consumers, each having an individual demand curve p=101-10Qi, where p is price in dollar's per cup and Qi is the number of cups demanded per week by the i th consumer.Find the market demand curve using algebra. Draw an individual demand curve and the market dema
Gsbwnw Reply
suppose the production function is given by ( L, K)=L¼K¾.assuming capital is fixed find APL and MPL. consider the following short run production function:Q=6L²-0.4L³ a) find the value of L that maximizes output b)find the value of L that maximizes marginal product
Abdureman
types of unemployment
Yomi Reply
What is the difference between perfect competition and monopolistic competition?
Mohammed
Got questions? Join the online conversation and get instant answers!
Jobilize.com Reply
Practice Key Terms 6

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, College physics. OpenStax CNX. Jul 27, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11406/1.9
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'College physics' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask