2.13 EFFECT OF DIELECTRIC ON CAPACITANCE With the understanding of the behaviour of dielectrics in an external field developed in Section 2.10, let us see how the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is modified when a dielectric is present. As before, we have two large plates, each of area A, separated by a distance d. The charge on the plates is ±Q, corresponding to the charge density ±s (with s = Q/A). When there is vacuum between the plates, σ E 0 = ε0 69 Reprint 2025-26 Physics and the potential difference V0 is V0 = E0d The capacitance C0 in this case is Q A C 0 = = ε0 (2.46) V 0 d Consider next a dielectric inserted between the plates fully occupying the intervening region. The dielectric is polarised by the field and, as explained in Section 2.10, the effect is equivalent to two charged sheets (at the surfaces of the dielectric normal to the field) with surface charge densities sp and –sp. The electric field in the dielectric then corresponds to the case when the net surface charge density on the plates is ±(s – sp). That is, σ − σP E = (2.47) ε0 so that the potential difference across the plates is σ − σP V = E d = d (2.48) ε0 For linear dielectrics, we expect sp to be proportional to E0, i.e., to s. Thus, (s – sp) is proportional to s and we can write σ σ − σP = (2.49) K where K is a constant characteristic of the dielectric. Clearly, K > 1. We then have σd Qd V = = (2.50) ε0 K Aε0 K The capacitance C, with dielectric between the plates, is then Q ε0KA C = = (2.51) V d The product e0K is called the permittivity of the medium and is denoted by e e = e0 K (2.52) For vacuum K = 1 and e = e0; e0 is called the permittivity of the vacuum. The dimensionless ratio ε K = (2.53) ε0 is called the dielectric constant of the substance. As remarked before, from Eq. (2.49), it is clear that K is greater than 1. From Eqs. (2.46) and (2. 51) C K = (2.54) C 0 Thus, the dielectric constant of a substance is the factor (>1) by which the capacitance increases from its vacuum value, when the dielectric is 70 inserted fully between the plates of a capacitor. Though we arrived at Reprint 2025-26 Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance Eq. (2.54) for the case of a parallel plate capacitor, it holds good for any type of capacitor and can, in fact, be viewed in general as a definition of the dielectric constant of a substance. Example 2.8 A slab of material of dielectric constant K has the same area as the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor but has a thickness (3/4)d, where d is the separation of the plates. How is the capacitance changed when the slab is inserted between the plates? Solution Let E0 = V0/d be the electric field between the plates when there is no dielectric and the potential difference is V0. If the dielectric is now inserted, the electric field in the dielectric will be E = E0/K. The potential difference will then be 1 E 0 3 V = E 0 ( d ) + ( d ) 4 K 4 1 3 K + 3 = E 0 d ( + ) = V 0 4 4 K 4 K The potential difference decreases by the factor (K + 3)/4K while the free charge Q0 on the plates remains unchanged. The capacitance thus increases EXAMPLE Q 0 4 K Q 0 4 K C = = = C 0 V K + 3 V 0 K + 3 2.8

2.14 COMBINATION OF CAPACITORS We can combine several capacitors of capacitance C1, C2,…, Cn to obtain a system with some effective capacitance C. The effective capacitance depends on the way the individual capacitors are combined. Two simple possibilities are discussed below. 2.14.1 Capacitors in series Figure 2.26 shows capacitors C1 and C2 FIGURE 2.26 Combination of two combined in series. capacitors in series. The left plate of C1 and the right plate of C2 are connected to two terminals of a battery and have charges Q and –Q , respectively. It then follows that the right plate of C1 has charge –Q and the left plate of C2 has charge Q. If this was not so, the net charge on each capacitor would not be zero. This would result in an electric field in the conductor connecting C1and C2. Charge would flow until the net charge on both C1 and C2 is zero and there is no electric field in the conductor connecting C1 and C2. Thus, in the series combination, charges on the two plates FIGURE 2.27 Combination of n (±Q) are the same on each capacitor. The total capacitors in series. 71 Reprint 2025-26 Physics potential drop V across the combination is the sum of the potential drops V1 and V2 across C1 and C2, respectively. Q Q + (2.55) V = V1 + V2 = C1 C 2 V 1 1 i.e., = + , (2.56) Q C1 C 2 Now we can regard the combination as an effective capacitor with charge Q and potential difference V. The effective capacitance of the combination is Q C = (2.57) V We compare Eq. (2.57) with Eq. (2.56), and obtain 1 1 1 = + (2.58) C C1 C 2 The proof clearly goes through for any number of capacitors arranged in a similar way. Equation (2.55), for n capacitors arranged in series, generalises to Q Q Q V = V1 + V 2 + ... + V n = + + ... + (2.59) C1 C 2 C n Following the same steps as for the case of two capacitors, we get the general formula for effective capacitance of a series combination of n capacitors: 1 1 1 1 1 = + + + ... + (2.60) C C1 C 2 C 3 C n 2.14.2 Capacitors in parallel Figure 2.28 (a) shows two capacitors arranged in parallel. In this case, the same potential difference is applied across both the capacitors. But the plate charges (±Q1) on capacitor 1 and the plate charges (±Q2) on the capacitor 2 are not necessarily the same: Q1 = C1V, Q2 = C2V (2.61) The equivalent capacitor is one with charge Q = Q1 + Q2 (2.62) and potential difference V. Q = CV = C1V + C2V (2.63) The effective capacitance C is, from Eq. (2.63), C = C1 + C2 (2.64) The general formula for effective capacitance C for parallel combination of n capacitors [Fig. 2.28 (b)] follows similarly, Q = Q1 + Q2 + ... + Qn (2.65) FIGURE 2.28 Parallel combination of i.e., CV = C1V + C2V + ... CnV(2.66) (a) two capacitors, (b) n capacitors. which gives C = C1 + C2 + ... Cn (2.67) 72 Reprint 2025-26 Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance Example 2.9 A network of four 10 mF capacitors is connected to a 500 V supply, as shown in Fig. 2.29. Determine (a) the equivalent capacitance of the network and (b) the charge on each capacitor. (Note, the charge on a capacitor is the charge on the plate with higher potential, equal and opposite to the charge on the plate with lower potential.) FIGURE 2.29 Solution (a) In the given network, C1, C2 and C3 are connected in series. The effective capacitance C¢ of these three capacitors is given by 1 1 1 1 = + + C ′ C1 C 2 C 3 For C1 = C2 = C3 = 10 mF, C¢ = (10/3) mF. The network has C¢ and C4 connected in parallel. Thus, the equivalent capacitance C of the network is  10  C = C¢ + C4 =  3 + 10 mF =13.3mF (b) Clearly, from the figure, the charge on each of the capacitors, C1, C2 and C3 is the same, say Q. Let the charge on C4 be Q¢. Now, since the potential difference across AB is Q/C1, across BC is Q/C2, across CD is Q/C3 , we have Q Q Q + + = 500 V . C1 C 2 C 3 Also, Q¢/C4 = 500 V. This gives for the given value of the capacitances, 10 −3 Q = 500 V × µ F = 1.7 × 10 C and EXAMPLE 3 Q ′ = 500 V × 10 µ F = 5.0 × 10 −3 C 2.9

2.15 ENERGY STORED IN A CAPACITOR A capacitor, as we have seen above, is a system of two conductors with charge Q and –Q. To determine the energy stored in this configuration, consider initially two uncharged conductors 1 and 2. Imagine next a process of transferring charge from conductor 2 to conductor 1 bit by 73 Reprint 2025-26 Physics bit, so that at the end, conductor 1 gets charge Q. By charge conservation, conductor 2 has charge –Q at the end (Fig 2.30 ). In transferring positive charge from conductor 2 to conductor 1, work will be done externally, since at any stage conductor 1 is at a higher potential than conductor 2. To calculate the total work done, we first calculate the work done in a small step involving transfer of an infinitesimal (i.e., vanishingly small) amount of charge. Consider the intermediate situation when the conductors 1 and 2 have charges Q¢ and FIGURE 2.30 (a) Work done in a small –Q¢ respectively. At this stage, the potential difference step of building charge on conductor 1 V¢ between conductors 1 to 2 is Q¢/C, where C is thefrom Q¢ to Q¢ + d Q¢. (b) Total work done in charging the capacitor may be capacitance of the system. Next imagine that a small viewed as stored in the energy of charge d Q¢ is transferred from conductor 2 to 1. Work electric field between the plates. done in this step (d W), resulting in charge Q¢ on conductor 1 increasing to Q¢+ d Q¢, is given by Q ′ δW = V ′δQ ′ = δQ ′ (2.68) C Integrating eq. (2.68) Q 2 Q 2 Q ′ 1 Q ′ Q δ Q ’ = = W = ∫ C 2 2C 0 C 0 We can write the final result, in different ways Q 2 1 2 1 W = = CV = QV (2.69) 2C 2 2 Since electrostatic force is conservative, this work is stored in the form of potential energy of the system. For the same reason, the final result for potential energy [Eq. (2.69)] is independent of the manner in which the charge configuration of the capacitor is built up. When the capacitor discharges, this stored-up energy is released. It is possible to view the potential energy of the capacitor as ‘stored’ in the electric field between the plates. To see this, consider for simplicity, a parallel plate capacitor [of area A (of each plate) and separation d between the plates]. Energy stored in the capacitor 1 Q 2 ( Aσ)2 d = = × (2.70) 2 C 2 ε0 A The surface charge density s is related to the electric field E between the plates, σ E = (2.71) ε0 From Eqs. (2.70) and (2.71) , we get Energy stored in the capacitor 2 × A d (2.72) U = (1/2 ) ε0 E 74 Reprint 2025-26 Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance Note that Ad is the volume of the region between the plates (where electric field alone exists). If we define energy density as energy stored per unit volume of space, Eq (2.72) shows that Energy density of electric field, u =(1/2)e0E 2 (2.73) Though we derived Eq. (2.73) for the case of a parallel plate capacitor, the result on energy density of an electric field is, in fact, very general and holds true for electric field due to any configuration of charges. Example 2.10 (a) A 900 pF capacitor is charged by 100 V battery [Fig. 2.31(a)]. How much electrostatic energy is stored by the capacitor? (b) The capacitor is disconnected from the battery and connected to another 900 pF capacitor [Fig. 2.31(b)]. What is the electrostatic energy stored by the system? FIGURE 2.31 Solution (a) The charge on the capacitor is Q = CV = 900 × 10–12 F × 100 V = 9 × 10–8 C The energy stored by the capacitor is = (1/2) CV 2 = (1/2) QV = (1/2) × 9 × 10–8C × 100 V = 4.5 × 10–6 J (b) In the steady situation, the two capacitors have their positive EXAMPLE plates at the same potential, and their negative plates at the same potential. Let the common potential difference be V¢. The 2.10 75 Reprint 2025-26 Physics charge on each capacitor is then Q¢ = CV¢. By charge conservation, Q¢ = Q/2. This implies V¢ = V/2. The total energy of the system is 1 1 − 6 = 2 × Q ' V ' = QV = 2.25 × 10 J 2 4 Thus in going from (a) to (b), though no charge is lost; the final energy is only half the initial energy. Where has the remaining energy gone? 2.10 There is a transient period before the system settles to the situation (b). During this period, a transient current flows from the first capacitor to the second. Energy is lost during this time in EXAMPLE the form of heat and electromagnetic radiation. SUMMARY 1. Electrostatic force is a conservative force. Work done by an external force (equal and opposite to the electrostatic force) in bringing a charge q from a point R to a point P is q(VP–VR), which is the difference in potential energy of charge q between the final and initial points. 2. Potential at a point is the work done per unit charge (by an external agency) in bringing a charge from infinity to that point. Potential at a point is arbitrary to within an additive constant, since it is the potential difference between two points which is physically significant. If potential at infinity is chosen to be zero; potential at a point with position vector r due to a point charge Q placed at the origin is given is given by 1 Q V ( r ) = 4 πεo r 3. The electrostatic potential at a point with position vector r due to a point dipole of dipole moment p placed at the origin is 1 p.rˆ V ( r ) = 2 4 πεo r The result is true also for a dipole (with charges –q and q separated by 2a) for r >> a. 4. For a charge configuration q1, q2, ..., qn with position vectors r1, r2, ... rn, the potential at a point P is given by the superposition principle 1 q1 q 2 qn V = ( + + ... + ) 4 πε0 r1P r2P rnP where r1P is the distance between q1 and P, as and so on. 5. An equipotential surface is a surface over which potential has a constant value. For a point charge, concentric spheres centred at a location of the charge are equipotential surfaces. The electric field E at a point is perpendicular to the equipotential surface through the point. E is in the direction of the steepest decrease of potential. Reprint 2025-26 Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance 6. Potential energy stored in a system of charges is the work done (by an external agency) in assembling the charges at their locations. Potential energy of two charges q1, q2 at r1, r2 is given by 1 q1 q 2 U = 4 πε0 r12 where r12 is distance between q1 and q2. 7. The potential energy of a charge q in an external potential V(r) is qV(r). The potential energy of a dipole moment p in a uniform electric field E is –p.E. 8. Electrostatics field E is zero in the interior of a conductor; just outside the surface of a charged conductor, E is normal to the surface given by σ E = nˆ where ˆn is the unit vector along the outward normal to the ε0 surface and s is the surface charge density. Charges in a conductor can reside only at its surface. Potential is constant within and on the surface of a conductor. In a cavity within a conductor (with no charges), the electric field is zero. 9. A capacitor is a system of two conductors separated by an insulator. Its capacitance is defined by C = Q/V, where Q and –Q are the charges on the two conductors and V is the potential difference between them. C is determined purely geometrically, by the shapes, sizes and relative positions of the two conductors. The unit of capacitance is farad:, 1 F = 1 C V –1. For a parallel plate capacitor (with vacuum between the plates), A C = ε0 d where A is the area of each plate and d the separation between them. 10. If the medium between the plates of a capacitor is filled with an insulating substance (dielectric), the electric field due to the charged plates induces a net dipole moment in the dielectric. This effect, called polarisation, gives rise to a field in the opposite direction. The net electric field inside the dielectric and hence the potential difference between the plates is thus reduced. Consequently, the capacitance C increases from its value C0 when there is no medium (vacuum), C = KC0 where K is the dielectric constant of the insulating substance. 11. For capacitors in the series combination, the total capacitance C is given by 1 1 1 1 = + + + ... C C1 C 2 C 3 In the parallel combination, the total capacitance C is: C = C1 + C2 + C3 + ... where C1, C2, C3... are individual capacitances. 77 Reprint 2025-26 Physics 12. The energy U stored in a capacitor of capacitance C, with charge Q and voltage V is 1 1 2 1 Q 2 U = QV = CV = 2 2 2 C The electric energy density (energy per unit volume) in a region with electric field is (1/2)e0E2. Physical quantity Symbol Dimensions Unit Remark Potential or V [M1 L2 T–3 A–1] V Potential difference is physically significant Capacitance C [M–1 L–2 T–4 A2] F Polarisation P [L–2 AT] C m-2 Dipole moment per unit volume Dielectric constant K [Dimensionless] POINTS TO PONDER 1. Electrostatics deals with forces between charges at rest. But if there is a force on a charge, how can it be at rest? Thus, when we are talking of electrostatic force between charges, it should be understood that each charge is being kept at rest by some unspecified force that opposes the net Coulomb force on the charge. 2. A capacitor is so configured that it confines the electric field lines within a small region of space. Thus, even though field may have considerable strength, the potential difference between the two conductors of a capacitor is small. 3. Electric field is discontinuous across the surface of a spherical charged ˆn outside. Electric potential is, however shell. It is zero inside and σε0 continuous across the surface, equal to q/4pe0R at the surface. 4. The torque p × E on a dipole causes it to oscillate about E. Only if there is a dissipative mechanism, the oscillations are damped and the dipole eventually aligns with E. 5. Potential due to a charge q at its own location is not defined – it is infinite. 6. In the expression qV (r) for potential energy of a charge q, V (r) is the potential due to external charges and not the potential due to q. As seen in point 5, this expression will be ill-defined if V (r) includes potential 78 due to a charge q itself. Reprint 2025-26 Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance 7. A cavity inside a conductor is shielded from outside electrical influences. It is worth noting that electrostatic shielding does not work the other way round; that is, if you put charges inside the cavity, the exterior of the conductor is not shielded from the fields by the inside charges. EXERCISES