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Electromagnetism

Physics 15b
Lecture #7
Capacitance

Purcell 3.53.8

What We Did Last Time


Studied electric field near and around conductors
Just outside a conductor surface,
E = 0 in an empty space inside a
conductor

Concentric spheres
+ +

+
+
+

+ +

E=0

area A

+++
+
+
+++

E = 4 n

Er

+
+
r

Todays Goals
Study a system with a conductive plane

Demonstrate an image charge technique

Define capacitance
First, for an isolated conductor w.r.t. infinity
Second, for a pair of conductors
Youll work on this in Lab 1
Dimension and unit
Energy stored in a capacitor

Discuss multi-conductor systems


Generalize capacitance into a matrix
Invert the matrix to prove another form
of the uniqueness theorem

Conductive Plane
A point charge Q is placed above a large conductive plane
It attracts negative charge distribution
on the planes surface
Field lines from Q terminate on the
induced negative charge distribution

+Q
h

Need to solve Laplaces Equation


above the plane, with a singularity
at Q and a flat equipotential surface

Generally a hard problem, but there is


a trick for this one

Image Charge Technique


Consider two charges +Q and Q separated by 2h
Coulomb field x 2 Easy enough to calculate
E is vertical on the mid-plane
The mid-plane is therefore an equipotential

z
+Q

The field above the mid-plane satisfies


the boundary condition of the conductive
plane problem

By the Uniqueness Theorem, its the solution

This technique works in a problem with


one (infinite) conductive plane

The Q charge is called the image charge of the original

Surface Charge
z

E field on the mid-plane points down


Q
2Qh
E z (z = 0) = 2 2
cos = 2
2
r +h
(r + h 2 )3 2

+Q

Its related to the surface charge density

E
Qh
(r ) = z =
4 2 (r 2 + h 2 )3 2

h
Q

If we integrate over the entire surface, we get

Qh
Qhr
(r )2 rdr =
dr
=
2

0 (r 2 + h 2 )3 2
2
r + h 0
= Q

Does This Make Sense?


Total charge induced on the plane is Q
Where did the corresponding positive charge go?
Didnt we start with a neutral conductor?

Culprit: the plane is infinite

If the plane were finite, wed see +Q


distributed around the edge and on the back

Exact result known for a disk (see Purcell) but beyond 15b

+ +
+ +

+ +
+ +

Capacitance
A conductor with charge Q has a potential 0 w.r.t. infinity
surface

0 =

E ds Q

because E is proportional to Q

We define capacitance by the ratio C

Q
0

It is determined by the shape of the conductor

Example: a spherical conductor with radius a

E=

Q
r (for r > a)
r2

0 =

Q
a

C=a

Dimension of capacitance = (length)


Unit of capacitance = cm

Capacitance
Capacitance can also be defined for a pair of conductors

This is in fact much more common

Give two conductors +Q and Q and


measure the potential difference

+Q
Q

1 2 = E d s Q
2

Capacitance is defined by C =

Q
1 2

Most useful case: two plates with a small gap in between


area A

Parallel-Plate Capacitor
If A is large (s is small), then this is similar to the double
infinite sheets of charge we saw in Lecture 3

E is uniform between the plates

E = 4 =

Potential difference is

1 2 = Es =

4 Q
A

Capacitance is

4 Qs
A

C=

+Q/A
E
Q/A

Q
A
=
1 2 4 s

Real World Capacitors


Capacitors appear everywhere in electronics

Computer memory (dynamic RAM) is an array of tiny capacitors


Will do more on this later

In electronics, we must use SI

Charge is in coulomb (C), potential is in volt (V)

SI unit for capacitance is farad (F) =

coulomb (C)
volt (V)

Conversion from CGS: 1 farad = 9 x 1011 cm


Since 1 farad is such a large unit, we often use

1 F = 10 6 F

1 pF = 10 12 F

Ex: a spherical conductor with a 10 cm radius has a capacitance of


10 cm = 11 pF

Energy in a Capacitor
E field inside a parallel-plate capacitor contains energy

E2
2 Q 2s Q 2
U=
dV =
=
V 8
A
2C

+Q/A

This is also how much work is


needed to charge up the
capacitor from 0 to Q

Q/A

E=

4 Q
A

When the charge is q, the potential difference is =


C
Work required to move a small charge dq
qdq
from the bottom plate to the top plate is dW = dq =

Integrate: W =

qdq Q 2
=
C
2C

Q2
Generally for any capacitor, energy U =
2C

Multiple Conductors
0 = 0

Generalize to multiple conductors

Everything is enclosed in a (possibly infinite)


boundary at 0 = 0

1,Q1

If potential 1, 2, 3, of all conductors


are given, is uniquely determined
everywhere Uniqueness theorem

2 ,Q2

3 ,Q3

Once is known, so is E, and so is on all


conductor surfaces

Charges Q1, Q2, Q3, of all conductors are determined


Superposition principle guarantees:

Qi = Ci11 + Ci 22 + C133 + = Cij j


j

Constants Cij are coefficients of capacitance

Coefficients of Capacitance
To determine Cij, set 1 > 0 and all other i = 0

0 = 0

Qi = Ci11

1 > 0

All field lines start from 1 and end on other


conductors or the boundary B

Q1 > 0, Qi 1 0, QB 0

Total charge including QB must be zero

Qi + QB = 0
i

Qi 0

2 = 0

So the coeffs. Cij must satisfy

Cii > 0, Ci j 0, and

3 = 0

ij

Also: Cij = Cji see Purcell Problem 3.27

[Cij ] =

Potential Coefficients
Can we solve Qi = Cij j for j?
j

Only if the [Cij] matrix is invertible, i.e, |Cij| 0


The shape of [Cij] weve found on the last slide ensures |Cij| 0

So we can invert the matrix and get

i = PijQ j , where P = C 1
j

Pij are called the potential coefficients

At this point we know that specifying charges Qj of all


conductors (plus the potential 0 of the boundary) uniquely
determines the field everywhere

Physically obvious but also mathematically true

Summary
Image-charge technique for a conductive plane
Definitions of capacitance

z
+Q

Single isolated conductor


Q
Q
C
or
Between two conductors

1 2
Unit: cm in CGS, farad in SI
Parallel-plate capacitor

area A

A
C=
4 s

h
Q

Q
2C
General multi-conductor system

Energy stored in a capacitor: U =

Qi = Cij j
j

i = PijQ j , where P = C 1
j

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