Chapter 10: Capacitors

Introduction
Electric field
Capacitance
Dielectric strength
Leakage current
Various types of capacitors
Capacitors in series and parallel
Energy stored by a capacitor
Stray capacitances
Transient analysis (Next class)

Introduction

A capacitor is a device that stores electrostatic potential energy, i.e.

it is a energy storage device.

May either produce or absorb energy.

Mainly acts as a filter which blocks the DC but allows AC.

Charging or discharging will take time unlike resistors

Basic Construction
The capacitor is constructed with the dielectric sandwiched between the two
conducting plates.
Each plate is capable of being charged with electrical current and has the ability
to hold the charge. The difference in the charge levels of the conductive plates
allows an electric field to exist in the dielectric which acts an insulator or
separator.
Dielectrics are materials that do not conduct electricity.
Example of dielectric materials: air, paper, plastic, ceramic etc.
Capacitance (ability to hold electrical charges) usually measured in farads or
microfarads.

Capacitance of a dielectric-filled parallel plate capacitor is

Dielectric Strength
Dielectric Strength is a measure of the electrical strength of a material to act as
an insulator.
It is defined as the maximum voltage required to produce a dielectric breakdown
through the material and is expressed as Volts per unit thickness (Volts/meter).
The higher the dielectric strength of a material the better its quality as an
insulator.
The corresponding voltage is known as breakdown voltage.

Leakage current
In reality dielectrics are not perfect insulators
When a voltage is applied across a capacitor, a
leakage current is established between the plates
Becomes important when capacitors remain in a
charged state for long periods of time and
establishes a discharge current through the resistor
Electrolytic capacitors have high leakage currents
Image courtesy: Wikipedia

Various Types of Capacitors

Fixed capacitors
Maintain a constant and unchanging value of capacitance, its ability to
hold an electrical charge.
Examples: Electrolytic, film, polyester, foil, polypropylene, teflon
Variable capacitors
Value of capacitance can be adjusted or varied. E.g. ceramic trimmer
capacitor.

(Image Courtesy: http://www.learnaboutelectronics.org/ac_theory/Fig2_1_3.swf)

Capacitors in Series and Parallel

Exactly opposite of the phenomenon exhibited by resistors.

When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is

less than any one of the series capacitors' individual capacitances.
(Capacitances diminish in series.)

When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance is

the sum of the individual capacitors' capacitances.(Capacitances
add in parallel.)

Energy Stored by a Capacitor

The energy stored in a capacitor is given by-

Stray Capacitances
Stray capacitance is the capacitance that occurs due to electric
stray fields.
Arises when two conducting surfaces are relatively close to one another
May lead to serious errors in system design if they are not considered
carefully.
It is undesired as it slows down voltage changes, hence speed.
Undesirable capacitance between circuit wires, between wires and the
chassis, or between components and the chassis of electronic equipment.
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms)

Transient Analysis

This is the equation that denes the behaviour of a capacitor

(one may compare it to the Ohms law for resistors).
Are capacitors linear?

Charging Phase
Time constant
Discharge Phase

Charging Phase

The placement of charge on the plates of a capacitor does not occur

instantaneously. Instead, it occurs over a period of time determined by the
components of the network.
This period of time during which charge is being deposited on the plates is
called the transient perioda period of time where the voltage or current
changes from one steady-state level to another.

Transient voltage/current

How long will it take to totally

discharge the capacitor?

The factor tau, called the time constant of the network (unit time)

Discharging Phase

For a fixed-resistance network, the effect of increasing the capacitance is clearly

demonstrated in Fig. The larger the capacitance, and hence the time constant,
the longer it takes the capacitor to charge upthere is more charge to be
stored.

Theory review for solving problems