Capacitance

LECTURE - 1
Jayant Nagda
Physics Educator

B.Tech, IIT Bombay

IIT-JEE AIR- 161

9+ Years of Teaching Experience at

3 Coaching Institutes (multiple under 15 AIRs)

In top 1% INPhO
 unacademy.com/plus

Tests
Quizzes
Doubt Sessions
More Personalized
JEELIVE
unacademy.com/plus

Started : 9th May

unacademy.com/plus

Starting : 13th May

unacademy.com/plus

Ongoing
Properties of Conductors

1. Earthing

2.

Shielding Effect
3.

4.

5.
Electric field due to Uniform Infinite Sheet of Charge

At Point P is some ‘r’ distance away.

𝝈: Surface charge density

+
+
+ +
+ P
+ +
+
+ +
+
+ +
+
+
Redistribution of Charges
Charge redistribution on Parallel Plates

Q1 Q2
Charge distribution on Parallel Plates

Q1 Q2
Redistribution of Charges

Concepts to Apply

1. Conducting surfaces facing each other get

equal and opposite charges
2. Conservation of Charges is applicable
Example +Q and -Q are given to two large conducting plates facing each other.
Determine final charges appearing on each surface. What charge
appears on surface 2?
A.
+Q -Q

B.

C.

D. Zero

1 2 3 4
Example Two large conducting plates placed opposite to each other are given
charges 2Q and Q as shown. Determine final charge that appear on
surface S1
+2Q +Q

S1

A. B. C. D. Zero
Example Two conducting plates X and Y, each having large surface area A (on
one side), are placed parallel to each other as shown in figure. The
plate X is given a charge Q whereas the other is neutral. Find the
electric field at a point between the plates.
X Y
A.

B.

C.

D.
Charge distribution on Spherical Conductors

+Q2

+Q1

b
a
Charge distribution on Spherical Conductors

Q1- Q2
-Q1

+Q1
b
a

1. Conservation of Charges is applicable

2. Conducting surfaces facing each other get equal and
opposite charges
Example Find net charge on outer shell after earthing

+Q2

+Q1

b
a

A. Q1 B. -Q2 C. Q1 + Q2 D. zero
Capacitance
Capacitor

Capacitor
+Q -Q
Combination of two conductors placed close
to each other, separated by an insulator,
used for storing electric charge and
electrical energy

Plates of Conductor Scalar Quantity

Symbol: SI Unit:
Coulomb per Volt (C/V) or farad (F)

1μF = 10-6F 1nF = 10-9F 1pF = 10-12F

Capacitance

Capacitance (C)
Amount of charge stored by capacitor
per unit of potential difference.

OR

Ability of a Conductor to store charge

Q: Charge on the Positive Plate

V: Potential Difference between the +ve and -ve plates

Capacitance

Capacitance depends on shape/geometry of capacitor &

medium between the plates

Does not depend on:

1. Charge Q on conductor
2. Potential difference V between Plates
3. Potential Energy of Conductor
 Concept of Battery

Symbol:
Potential difference across the two
terminals of the battery is called
electromotive force (emf) or ε

Measured in Volts (V)

Method of determining Capacitance (C)

1. Give +Q and -Q charge to the plates

2. Find between the plates of capacitor
3. Find V Potential Difference between plates
using
4. C = Q/V gives the capacitance
Homework Questions
Example Two large conducting plates placed opposite to each other are given
charges 2Q and Q as shown. Determine final charge that appear on
surface S1
+3Q +Q

S1

A. B. C. D. Zero
Example Two large conducting plates placed parallel to each other and they carry
equal and opposite charges with surface density σ as shown in the
figure. Find the electric field
(a) at the left of the plates,
(b) in between the plates and
(c) at the right of the plates.

- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
Example Two conducting plates X and Y, each having large surface area A, are
placed parallel to each other as shown. The plate X is given a charge Q
whereas the other is neutral. Find
(a) the surface charge density at the inner surface of the plate X,
(b) the electric field at a point to the left of the plates,
(c) the electric field at a point in between the plates and
(d) the electric field at a point to the right of the plates.
Q

X Y
Example Three identical metal plates with large surface area are kept parallel to
each other as shown. The leftmost plate is given a charge Q, the
rightmost a charge -2Q and the middle one remains neutral. Find the
charge appearing on the outer surface of the rightmost plate.

3Q -Q 0
Example Three identical metal plates with large surface area are kept parallel to
each other as shown. The leftmost plate is given a charge Q, the
rightmost a charge -2Q and the middle one remains neutral. Find the
charge appearing on the outer surface of the rightmost plate.

Q -2Q
Example Figure shows three concentric thin spherical shell A , B and C of radii a, b
and C respectively. The shells A and C are given charges q and -q
respectively and the shell B is earthed. Find the charges appearing on
the surface of B and C.

b
a
q -q

c A
B
C
 Telegram
APP

tinyurl.com/jeelivechat