AP PHYSICS 2
NAME:
LAB: CAPACITANCE
Google: Phet capacitor lab
PART I CAPACITOR
Go to the tab Dielectric
Increase the plate area to 400.0 mm .
2
Make sure the offset of the dielectric is 0.0 mm.
Make sure the distance separation between plates is 10.0 mm.
Check mark the views: Plate charges , and Electric field lines
Check mark the meters: Capacitance, Plate charge, Stored Energy, and Electric Field Detector
Q 1. Draw the distribution of charges an electric field lines when:
BATTERY IS TURNED ON TO +1.5 V. BATTERY IS TURNED ON TO -1.5 V.
READINGS FROM THE METERS READINGS FROM THE METERS
Capacitance C= Capacitance C=
Electric charge q= Electric charge q=
Electric Potential Energy Uq = Electric Potential Energy Uq =
Electric Field E= Electric Field E=
Q 2. How do the measurements from the meters change, when the electric potential difference of the battery is +1.5v and -1.5v?
Q 3. With your own words describe a capacitor.
CAPACITANCE ELECTRIC CHARGE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
0 A q V
C Uq
d 2
VACUUM PERMITTIVITY ELECTRIC FIELD
N m2 V
0 8.85x10 -12
E
C2 d
CONVERSIONs:
From mm to m, divide the amount of mm by 1000 mm
2 2 2 2
From mm to m , divide the amount of mm by (1000 mm)
PART II CAPACITANCE
Click on reset all
Make sure the offset of the dielectric is 0.0 mm.
Check mark the meters: Capacitance, Plate charge, Stored Energy, and Electric Field Detector
Q 4. Complete the chart below:
SETTING OF YOUR CAPACITOR READINGS FROM THE METERS
kappa =3 Capacitance C=
Distance separation d = 10.0 mm Electric charge q=
2
Plate Area A = 100.0 mm Electric Potential Energy Uq =
Electric Potential difference V = 1.5 v Electric Field E=
Q 5. Show your work to calculate physical quantities:
Capacitance
Electric charge
Electric potential energy
Electric Field
PART III EFFECT OF THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT ON THE CAPACITANCE OF THE CAPACITOR
Click on reset all
Make sure the offset of the dielectric is 0.0 mm.
Check mark the meters: Capacitance, Plate charge, Stored Energy, and Electric Field Detector
Q 6. Complete the chart below:
SETTING OF YOUR CAPACITOR READINGS FROM THE METERS
kappa =5 Capacitance C=
Distance separation d = 10.0 mm Electric charge q=
2
Plate Area A = 100.0 mm Electric Potential Energy Uq =
Electric Potential difference V = 1.5 v Electric Field E=
Q 7. How does the dielectric constant affect the capacitance of the capacitor? (increase or decrease)
WHEN INCREASES WHEN DECREASES
Capacitance Capacitance
Electric charge Electric charge
Electric Potential Energy Electric Potential Energy
Electric Field Electric Field
PART IV EFFECT OF THE DISTANCE SEPARATION ON THE CAPACITANCE OF THE CAPACITOR
Click on reset all
Make sure the offset of the dielectric is 0.0 mm.
Check mark the meters: Capacitance, Plate charge, Stored Energy, and Electric Field Detector
Q 8. Complete the chart below:
SETTING OF YOUR CAPACITOR READINGS FROM THE METERS
kappa =3 Capacitance C=
Distance separation d = 5.0 mm Electric charge q=
2
Plate Area A = 100.0 mm Electric Potential Energy Uq =
Electric Potential difference V = 1.5 v Electric Field E=
Q 9. How does the distance separation affect the capacitance of the capacitor? (increase or decrease)
WHEN d INCREASES WHEN d DECREASES
Capacitance Capacitance
Electric charge Electric charge
Electric Potential Energy Electric Potential Energy
Electric Field Electric Field
PART V EFFECT OF THE PLATE AREA ON THE CAPACITANCE OF THE CAPACITOR
Click on reset all
Make sure the offset of the dielectric is 0.0 mm.
Check mark the meters: Capacitance, Plate charge, Stored Energy, and Electric Field Detector
Q 10. Complete the chart below:
SETTING OF YOUR CAPACITOR READINGS FROM THE METERS
kappa =3 Capacitance C=
Distance separation d = 10.0 mm Electric charge q=
2
Plate Area A = 400.0 mm Electric Potential Energy Uq =
Electric Potential difference V = 1.5 v Electric Field E=
Q 11. How does the plate area affect the capacitance of the capacitor? (increase or decrease)
WHEN A INCREASES WHEN A DECREASES
Capacitance Capacitance
Electric charge Electric charge
Electric Potential Energy Electric Potential Energy
Electric Field Electric Field
PART VI EFFECT OF THE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE ON THE CAPACITANCE OF THE CAPACITOR
Click on reset all
Make sure the offset of the dielectric is 0.0 mm.
Check mark the meters: Capacitance, Plate charge, Stored Energy, and Electric Field Detector
Q 12. Complete the chart below:
SETTING OF YOUR CAPACITOR READINGS FROM THE METERS
kappa =3 Capacitance C=
Distance separation d = 10.0 mm Electric charge q=
2
Plate Area A = 100.0 mm Electric Potential Energy Uq =
Electric Potential difference V = 1.0 v Electric Field E=
Q 13. How does the electric potential difference affect the capacitance of the capacitor? (increase or decrease)
WHEN V INCREASES WHEN V DECREASES
Capacitance Capacitance
Electric charge Electric charge
Electric Potential Energy Electric Potential Energy
Electric Field Electric Field
PART VII THE REAL CAPACITOR
You will need:
Wires
1 resistor
1 capacitor
cellphones or digital cameras
Stopwatch
Batteries
Q 14. Look at all the electric components of the circuit:
DRAW THE CIRUIT DIAGRAM
DRAW THE ELECTRIC CIRUIT
(USE SYMBOLS)
Place a running stop watch (could be your phone) next to the two voltmeters.
Connect the wires to the battery.
Make a video that focus on the two voltmeters and the stop watch.
Q 15. With your own words describe what happens (voltmeters).
Q 16. Complete the chart below (every 5 seconds):
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
TIME CLOCK READING
DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE
(STOP WATCH) (SET YOUR ZERO)
RESISTOR CAPACITOR
0
Q 17. Graphs
RESISTOR [red]
CAPACITOR [blue]
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.3
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
1.2
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
TIME [seconds]
Q 18. What type of relationships are observed for the resistor and the capacitor [ask your teacher for some help]
Q 19. What quantities affect the capacitance of a capacitor?
Q 20. What happen to the charges in the capacitor (initially charged) when you click on disconnect battery? Explain why.
