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Electricity
Electrostatics
Plate Capacitor
P3.1.7.3
Principles
If an electric conductor carries the charge +Q and on another
electric conductor is charged by the charge Q, then a potential difference U exists between these conductors:
Q = C U
(I)
The proportionality factor C is called capacitance. The capacitance C depends on the geometrical arrangement of the
conductors and the non conducting material between
these conductors. The arrangement of the conductors is
called capacitor. The simplest design of a capacitor is that of
two parallel plates. The capacitance of a plate capacitor is
given by
C = r 0
A
d
r = 8.85 10 12
(II)
As
permittivity of free space,
Vm
+
+
+
+
+Q +
+
r
-Q
d
Bi 0106
1
d
LD Didactic GmbH . Leyboldstrasse 1 . D-50354 Huerth / Germany . Phone: (02233) 604-0 . Fax: (02233) 604-222 . e-mail: info@ld-didactic.de
by LD Didactic GmbH
P3.1.7.3
LD Physics leaflets
-2-
Apparatus
Setup
-6
-7
10
10
10
10
10
-10
10
-1
-11
10
-2
10
10
-6
10
-9
10
-7
-8
-9
5.5
20
6.5
30
200
300
10
40
100
400
U
I,Q
1V(max.10Vs)
7.5
50
-7
10
10
10
-8
10
10
10
-9
10
10
4.5...7.5V
0...50V
0...500V
1A
5A
10mA
50mA
-10
10
-1
-11
10
-2
-6
10
-7
-8
-9
5.5
7
4.5
U
I,Q
1V(max.10Vs)
100M
521 65
20
6.5
30
10
300
200
40
100
400
500
6.3V
532 00
As
-6
10
10
10
10
5
4.5
10
10
-8
10
As
0
10
7.5
50
500
6.3V
4.5...7.5V
0...50V
0...500V
1A
5A
10mA
50mA
100M
521 65
532 00
OFF
O FF
531 120
OFF
531 120
100
1m
10m
100m
10
30
100
300
100
1m
10m
100m
300
300
531 120
3
1300m
100m
1m
100
100m
10m
DC
3
1
1m
300m
100
100m
100m
10m
100
1m
10m
100m
10
30
100
Fig. 1: Experimental setup (wiring diagram schematically) for charging the capacitor.
300
300
30
10
1
3
1300m
AC
100
AC
100m
1m
100
100m
10m
DC
1
3
1
30
10
DC
100
1m
10m
100m
300
3
10
30
100
100
30
10
300
30
10
531 120
OFF
AC
3
3
100
AC
100
300
3
10
30
100
1m
300m
100
100m
100m
10m
DC
Fig. 2: Experimental setup (wiring diagram schematically) for measuring the charge on the capacitor.
LD Didactic GmbH . Leyboldstrasse 1 . D-50354 Huerth / Germany . Phone: (02233) 604-0 . Fax: (02233) 604-222 . e-mail: info@ld-didactic.de
by LD Didactic GmbH
LD Physics leaflets
P3.1.7.3
-3-
90
Measuring example
d = 2 mm
80
70
charge Q / nAs
Q
nAs
Q
nAs
Q
nAs
(d = 2 mm)
(d = 4 mm)
(d = 6 mm)
60
50
4 mm
40
30
20
6 mm
10
50
12.0
6.8
4.5
100
24.0
13.0
9.0
150
35.5
19.7
13.9
200
48.0
26.5
18.3
250
61,5
33.3
23.0
300
74.0
40.0
27.9
0
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
voltage U / V
Fig. 3: Charge Q as function of the applied voltage U for various
plate distances d The straight line corresponds to a fit
through the origin according equation (I).
24.0
240
12.8
128
9.0
90
7.1
71
10
6.0
60
12
5.2
52
250
200
capacitance C / pF
Q
nAs
d
mm
150
100
50
0
0
10
12
plate distance d / mm
(d =2 mm)
C = 133 pF
(d =4 mm)
C = 92 pF
1
d
(d =6 mm)
The deviations are due additional capacities in measuring
setup and an increasing region of the inhomogeneous electric
field on the bothers of the plates.
LD Didactic GmbH . Leyboldstrasse 1 . D-50354 Huerth / Germany . Phone: (02233) 604-0 . Fax: (02233) 604-222 . e-mail: info@ld-didactic.de
by LD Didactic GmbH
P3.1.7.3
-4-
LD Physics leaflets
250
capacitance C / nF
200
150
100
50
0
0,0
0,1
0,2
0,3
-1
/ mm
0,4
0,5
-1
s
-12 As
= 8.8310
A
Vm
0 =
Supplementary information
Using the two-way switch (504 48) the two steps charging the
capacitor (Fig. 1) and measuring the charge on the capacitor
(Fig. 2) can done in one step conveniently. However, this
setup depicted in Fig 6 may not work properly at ambient
conditions with high humidity due to leakage currents.
A
10
-6
10-7
As
0
102
10
-6
10-7
10
-8
10
10
-8
10
-9
10
10
-9
10-10
10 -1
-11
-2
10
10
100M
5.5
20
6.5
30
10
200
40
300
100
400
0
4.5
U
I,Q
1V(max.10Vs)
7.5
50
500
6.3V
4.5...7.5V
0...50V
0...500V
1A
5A
10mA
50mA
521 65
532 00
OFF
531 120
OFF
531 120
100
1m
10m
100m
10
30
100
300
100
1m
10m
100m
300
AC
1300m
AC
30
10
3
3
3
100
3
3
100
300
100m
1m
100
100m
10m
DC
30
10
3
1300m
300
3
10
30
100
100m
1m
100
100m
10m
DC
Fig. 6: Alternative experimental setup (wiring diagram schematically), compare Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, respectively.
LD Didactic GmbH . Leyboldstrasse 1 . D-50354 Huerth / Germany . Phone: (02233) 604-0 . Fax: (02233) 604-222 . e-mail: info@ld-didactic.de
by LD Didactic GmbH