What is Capacitance?
The capacity of a conductor to store charge inside it is known as the capacitance of the conductor. We can also say that the amount of the storage of the conductor to store charge is called capacitance.
Capacitor Definition
The conductors which are used for storing the charge are referred to as capacitors. They are used to store electric energy in the form of electric charges. They are generally composed of two plates separated by an insulating medium. Where one plate is positively charged and the other is negatively charged.
Capacitance Formula
Capacitance is represented by C and it is the ration of the charge stored on the capacitor plates to the voltage.
C = Q/V
where,
- Q is the electric charge
- C is the capacitance
- V is the voltage across the plates
Unit of Capacitance
The unit of capacitance is the Farad, which is given after the English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday.
Conversion of Unit
- Microfarad (μF) 1μF = 1/1,000,000 = 0.000001 = 10-6 F
- Nano-farad (nF) 1nF = 1/1,000,000,000 = 0.000000001 = 10-9 F
- Picofarad(pF) 1pF = 1/1,000,000,000,000 = 0.000000000001 = 10-12 F
Effect of Dielectric on Capacitance
Capacitors use non-conducting materials or dielectric, to store charge and increase capacitance. Dielectrics when placed between charged capacitor plates, it becomes polarized which reduces the voltage across the plate and increases the capacitance. In this article we will explore effect of dielectric on capacitance and basics of capacitor and dielectric. Also, we will discuss effect of dielectric on capacitance derivation, application of dielectric on capacitor and how dielectric increases the capacitance of capacitor. Let’s start our learning on the topic “Effect on Dielectric on Capacitance.”