Capacitance

What you'll learn

• Define capacitance, as applied to both isolated spherical conductors and to parallel plate capacitors.
• Recall and use C = Q/V.
• Derive, using C = Q/V, formulae for the combined capacitance for capacitors in series and in parallel.
• Use the capacitance formulae for capacitors in series and in parallel.
• Determine the electric potential energy stored in a capacitor from the area under the potential–charge graph.
• Recall and use W = 1/2QV and hence W = 1/2CV^2.
• Analyse graphs of the variation with time of potential difference, charge and current for a capacitor discharging through a resistor.
• Recall and use τ = RC for the time constant for a capacitor discharging through a resistor.
• Use equations of the form x = x0e–(t/RC) where x could represent current, charge or potential difference for a capacitor discharging through a resistor.

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