Capacitance and stored energy

Page 2

This text is meant to accompany class discussions. It is not everything there is to know about the basics of torque and the two conditions of equilibrium. It is meant as a prep for class. More detailed notes and examples are given in the class notes, presentations, and demonstrations (click here.)

Click for the questions that go with this reading

Stored Energy

A capacitor is a device for storing energy in the electric field between the plates.

PArallel Plate Capacitor

Charges move from one plate to the other and as they do this they deliver energy to any components inbetween the plates. It is a common miscomception that the charges give up all of their energy. They only give a maximum equal to the potential difference across the capacitor's plates. But at the capacitor discharges, it loses charges and therfore changes the potential difference.

This video can be found on YouTube at https://youtu.be/i6germNsZs8

Energy stored in a capacitor is

This can be used to come up with a second useful form.

Sometimes the variable used for energy stored in a capacitor is "U_C" instead of "E_stored."

by Tony Wayne ...(If you are a teacher, please feel free to use these resources in your teaching.)

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