Energy Storage in Capacitors,

Dielectrics and Capacitors With Dielectrics

Todays agenda:

Energy Storage in Capacitors.

You must be able to calculate the energy stored in a capacitor, and apply the energy
storage equations to situations where capacitor configurations are altered.

Dielectrics.
You must understand why dielectrics are used, and be able include dielectric constants in
capacitor calculations.
 Energy Storage in Capacitors
Lets calculate how much work it takes to charge a capacitor.

The work required for an external force to move a charge dq

through a potential difference V is dW = dq V.

From Q=CV ( V = q/C): V

+ -
q q is the amount of charge on dq
dW dq the capacitor during the time +
C the charge dq is being moved.

We start with zero charge on the capacitor,

and end up with Q, so +q -q
2 Q
Q Q q q Q2
W dW dq .
0 0 C 2C 0 2C
The work required to charge the capacitor is the amount of
energy you get back when you discharge the capacitor
(because the electric force is conservative).

Thus, the work required to charge the capacitor is equal to the

potential energy stored in the capacitor.
Q2
U .
2C

Because C, Q, and V are related through Q=CV, there are three

equivalent ways to write the potential energy.

Q2 CV 2 QV
U .
2C 2 2
Example: a camera flash unit stores energy in a 150 F
capacitor at 200 V. How much electric energy can be stored?

CV 2
U
2

U
150 10 6

200 2

U3J

If you keep everything in SI (mks) units, the result is automatically in SI units.

 Energy Stored in Electric Fields

Energy is stored in the V

1
U CV 2 + -
capacitor:
2
E
1 0 A
U Ed
2

2 d
d
1 +Q -Q
U 0 Ad E 2
2 area A

The volume of the capacitor is Volume=Ad

The energy in electromagnetic phenomena is the same as mechanical
energy. The only question is, Where does it reside? In the old theories, it
resides in electrified bodies. In our theory, it resides in the electromagnetic
field, in the space surrounding the electrified bodies.James Maxwell

1 V
u 0 E 2 + -
2
This is not a new kind of energy. Its the E
electric potential energy resulting from the
coulomb force between charged particles. f
+Q -Q
Or you can think of it as the electric energy
area A
due to the field created by the charges.
Same thing.
Dielectrics

If an insulating sheet (dielectric) is

placed between the plates of a
dielectric
capacitor, the capacitance increases by
a factor , which depends on the
material in the sheet. is the
dielectric constant of the material.

In general, C = 0A / d. is 1
for a vacuum, and 1 for air.
(You can also define = 0
and write C = A / d).

A
C= .
d
Example: a parallel plate capacitor has an area of 10 cm2 and
plate separation 5 mm. 300 V is applied between its plates. If
neoprene is inserted between its plates, how much charge
does the capacitor hold.

A=10 cm2
A
C=
d
6.7 8.8510-12 1010-4
C=
510-3 =6.7

C =1.19 10-11F
V=300 V
Q = CV d=5 mm

Q = 1.19 10-11 300 3.56 10-9 C = 3.56 nC
Example: how much charge would the capacitor on the
previous slide hold if the dielectric were air?

A=10 cm2
The calculation is the
same, except replace 6.7
by 1.

Or just divide the charge on the =1

previous page by 6.7 to get.

Q = 0.53 nC V=300 V
d=5 mm
Example: find the energy stored in the capacitor.

C =1.19 10-11F A=10 cm2

1
U = C V
2

2
=6.7
1

U = 1.19 10-11 300
2
2

V=300 V
-7
U=5.36 10 J d=5 mm
Example: the battery is now disconnected. What are the
charge, capacitance, and energy stored in the capacitor?

A=10 cm2
The charge and capacitance are
unchanged, so the voltage drop
and energy stored are unchanged.

Q =3.56 nC =6.7
C =1.19 10-11F

U=5.36 10-7 J V=300 V

d=5 mm
Example: the dielectric is removed without changing the plate
separation. What are the capacitance, charge, potential
difference, and energy stored in the capacitor?

A=10 cm2
A
C=
d

C=
8.8510 1010
-12 -4
=6.7
510-3

V=?
V=300 V
C =1.78 10-12 F
d=5 mm
Example: the dielectric is removed without changing the plate
separation. What are the capacitance, charge, potential
difference, and energy stored in the capacitor?

A=10 cm2
The charge remains unchanged,
because there is nowhere for it
to go.

Q =3.56 nC

V=?
d=5 mm
Example: the dielectric is removed without changing the plate
separation. What are the capacitance, charge, potential
difference, and energy stored in the capacitor?

A=10 cm2
Knowing C and Q we can
calculate the new potential
difference.

Q
V = =
3.56 10-9
C
1.78 10-12
V=?
V = 2020 V d=5 mm
Example: the dielectric is removed without changing the plate
separation. What are the capacitance, charge, potential
difference, and energy stored in the capacitor?

A=10 cm2
1
U = C V
2

1

U = 1.78 10 2020
2
-12 2

U= 3.63 10-6 J V=2020 V

d=5 mm
 Ubefore = 5.36 10-7 J

Uafter = 3.63 10-6 J

Uafter
= 6.7
Ubefore

The energy stored increases by a factor of

Sure. It took work to remove the dielectric. The stored energy

increased by the amount of work done.

U= Wexternal
 More Complex Problems
Consider a parallel Q1 Q2
plate capacitor in the
configuration (a)
V 1 E1 E2
2 E1=E2
depicted on the right:
-Q1 -Q2

C1 Q1 / V Q1 C1V C2 Q2 / V Q2 C2V
Q Q1 Q2
C C1 C2
V V
 More Complex Problems
Consider a parallel Q
plate capacitor in the
1 d1 E1
configuration (b) D1=D2
V
depicted on the right: 2 d2 E2

1 E1 2 E2 -Q
2
V E1d1 E2 d 2 E2 d 2 d1
1
Q
Gauss Law: E2
A 2
Q A1 2 C1C2
C
V 1d 2 2 d1 C1 C2
 More Complex Problems
1
Consider a cylindrical capacitor in a
configuration depicted in (a) on the right
Tangential components of the electric
1
field are the same across the boundary Q1
=> E1 = E2
Gauss Law: 2 a
Q2

D1 rL D2 rL Q b

Q
E (1 2 ) rL Q E
(1 2 ) rL
b Q (1 2 ) L
b
Q
V Edr ln C
(1 2 ) L a V b
a ln
a
 More Complex Problems
2
Consider a cylindrical capacitor in a
configuration depicted in (b) on the right
Normal components of the electric field 1
are the same across the boundary => c
D1 = D2
Gauss Law: b a
Q Q Q
D E1 E2
2 rL 2 r1 L 2 r 2 L
b
c b c
Q
V Edr E1dr E2 dr 1 2 ln
a a b
2 L a
2 L 2
C C'
1 b 1 c 1 b 1 c
ln ln ln ln
1 a 2 b 1 a 2 b