MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Physics

8.02 Fall, 2002

V Capacitor - Worked Examples

Example 1: Cylindrical Capacitor

Consider a solid cylindrical conductor of radius a surrounded by a coaxial

cylindrical shell of inner radius b, as shown in Figure 1.1. The length of both cylinders is
l and we take it to be much larger compared to b-a, the separation of the cylinders, so that
edge effects can be neglected. The capacitor is charged so that the inner cylinder has
charge +Q while the outer shell has a charge –Q.

(a) (b)

Figure 1.1 (a) A cylindrical capacitor. (b) End view of the capacitor. The electric field is
non-vanishing only in the region a < r < b.

To obtain the capacitance, we first compute the electric field. Using Gauss’s law, we
have

JG JG Q λ
∫∫ E ⋅ d A = EA = E ( 2π rl ) = ε
wS 0
⇒ E=
2πε 0 r

where λ=Q/l is the charge/unit length. The potential difference can then be obtained as:

1
 b λ dr λ
b b
Vb − Va = − ∫ drEr = − =− ∫a ln  
a 2πε 0
r 2πε 0  a 
(1.1)
λ  b  Q λl
∆V = ln  = =
2πε 0  a C C
which yields

2πε 0l
C= (1.2)
b
ln  
a

Example 2: Spherical Capacitor

A spherical capacitor consists of two concentric spherical shells of radii a and b, as

shown in Figure 2.1a. Figure 2.1b shows how the charging battery is connected to the
capacitor. The inner shell has a charge +Q uniformly distributed over its surface, and the
outer shell an equal but opposite charge –Q.

Figure 2.1 (a) A spherical capacitor consisting of two concentric spherical shells of radii
a and b. (b) Charging of the spherical capacitor

The capacitance of this configuration can be computed as follows: The electric field in
the region a < r < b is given by
JG JG Q
w∫∫ ⋅ d A = Er A = Er ( 4π r ) =
2
E (2.1)
S
ε0
or

1 Q
Er = (2.2)
4πε o r 2

The potential difference between the two conducting shells is:

2
 b Q b dr Q 1 1 Q  b−a 
Vb − Va = − ∫ drEr = − ∫ =−  − =−   (2.3)
a 4πε 0 a r 2
4πε 0  a b  4πε 0  ab 

With ∆V=Va-Vb, we have

Q  ab 
C= = 4πε 0   (2.4)
∆V  b−a 

An isolated conductor can also have a capacitance. In the limit where b → ∞ , the above
equation becomes
 ab  a
lim C = lim 4πε 0   = lim 4πε 0 = 4πε 0 a (2.5)
b →∞ b →∞
 b−a  b →∞  a
 1− 
 b

Thus, for a single isolated spherical conductor of radius R,

C = 4πε 0 R. (2.6)

The above expression can also be obtained by noting that a sphere of radius R has
Q
V= , and V=0 at infinity. This yields
4πε 0

Q Q
C= = = 4πε 0 R. (2.7)
∆ V Q / 4πε 0 R

As expected, the capacitance of an isolated charged sphere only depends on its geometry
(the radius R).

Example 3: Capacitor voltage divider

The charge Q on a capacitor C is related to the voltage V across it

Q = CV (3.1)

Consider two capacitors, C1 and C2 , in series across an alternating voltage source,

V = V0 sin(2π ft ) , as shown in Figure 3.1.

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 Figure 3.1 Capacitor voltage divider

What is the voltage across C2 ? The two capacitors in series look like a single capacitor
C1C2 dQ
Ceq = as far as the voltage source is concerned. The same current, I = ,
(C1 + C2 ) dt
flows through both capacitors and produces the same alternating charge on them.

The current is then

dQ dV
I= = Ceq (3.2)
dt dt

So the alternating charge on the two capacitors becomes via integration

Q = ∫ I dt = CeqV = C1V1 = C2V2 (3.3)

where V is the voltage across both capacitors in series, and V1 and V2 are the voltages
across C1 and C2, respectively.

Solving for V2 we get

Q V V  C1C2   C1 
V2 = = Ceq =   =V   (3.4)
C2 C2 C2  C1 + C2   C1 + C2 

The ratio V2/V describes the voltage divider and is given by

V2 C
= (3.5)
V C1 + C2

We have what’s called a capacitative voltage divider for ac voltage that works
independently of frequency, at least in its ideal form.

4
In the HVPS (high voltage power supply), C1 = 100 pF and C2 = 1000 pF , so the smaller
1
voltage V2 = V appears across the larger capacitor C2 and the larger voltage
11
10
V1 = V appears across the smaller capacitor C1 —just the opposite of a resistive voltage
11
divider (or pot) which you have seen and used before, where the larger voltage appears
across the larger resistor.