Calculating the Capacitance of a Parallel-Plate Capacitor

What is the capacitance of the capacitor?

Find the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor with the given data:

  • Dielectric constant (K): 2.1
  • Area of plates (a): 0.063 m × 5.4 m
  • Distance between the plates (d): 3.5 × 10⁻⁵ m

Answer: 0.18

The capacitance of the capacitor is 0.18 μF.

To calculate the capacitance (C) of a parallel-plate capacitor, you can use the formula:

C = (K * ε * a) / d

Where:

  • K = Dielectric constant = 2.1
  • ε = Permitivity of free space = 8.85 x 10⁻¹² C²/Nm²
  • a = Area of plates = 0.063 m × 5.4 m = 0.302 m²
  • d = Distance between the plates = 3.5 × 10⁻⁵ m

Plugging in the values:

C = (2.1 * 8.85 x 10⁻¹² * 0.302) / (3.5 x 10⁻⁵)

C = 1.8 x 10⁻⁷ F = 0.18 μF

Therefore, the capacitance of the capacitor is 0.18 μF.

← Exploring the physics of baseball and baseball bats The science of mechanical properties understanding the atomic scale mechanisms →