Chapter 25: Problem 60
(a) Calculate the capacitance of a capacitor consisting of two parallel plates separated by a layer of paraffin wax \(0.50 \mathrm{~cm}\) thick, the area of each plate being \(80 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}\). The dielectric constant for the wax is \(2.0 .(b)\) If the capacitor is connected to a \(100-V\) source, calculate the charge on the capacitor and the energy stored in the capacitor.
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understand the Formula for Capacitance with a Dielectric
Convert Units and Substitute Known Values
Calculate the Capacitance
Calculate Charge on the Capacitor
Calculate the Energy Stored in the Capacitor
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Parallel Plate Capacitor
- The larger the area of the plates, the greater the capacitance, because more electric field lines can form between the larger surfaces.
- The closer the plates are to each other, the greater the capacitance, as a stronger electric field is established when the separation is smaller.
- \( C \) is the capacitance,
- \(\varepsilon_0\) is the permittivity of free space,
- \(\varepsilon_r\) is the dielectric constant of the material,
- \( A \) is the area of the plates,
- \( d \) is the distance between the plates.
Dielectric Constant
- A higher dielectric constant indicates that the material can better support electric field lines, enhancing the capacitance of the capacitor.
- For paraffin wax, the dielectric constant is 2.0, meaning it can hold twice the amount of charge as if there were no dielectric between the plates.
Energy Stored in a Capacitor
- \( E \) is the energy stored,
- \( C \) is the capacitance,
- \( V \) is the voltage across the capacitor.
- This means even a small increase in voltage can lead to a significantly larger increase in energy storage.
- The stored energy can be released when the capacitor discharges, which can power various electric devices or smooth out power supply dips.
Charge on a Capacitor
- \( Q \) is the charge stored in the capacitor,
- \( C \) is the capacitance,
- \( V \) is the voltage applied.
- Higher capacitance allows more charge storage, as more surface area and better insulation enable effective collection and retention of charge.
- Higher voltage increases the amount of charge that can be stored for a given capacitance.