Friday 13 May 2016

electricity - Breaking up a capacitor


Suppose there is a parallel plate capacitor of area $S$ and separation $d$. Two different dielectrics fill-up the separation between the capacitors as shown below: enter image description here


; where $\epsilon_1=2$ and $\epsilon_2=4$ are relative permittivities.


To find its capacitance one can break up this capacitor in two ways: enter image description here


The respective circuit diagrams:


enter image description here


The first break-up gives capacitance $C = \frac{12\epsilon_0 S}{5d}$, whereas the the second break-up gives $C = \frac{7\epsilon_0 S}{3d}$. I do not understand which break-up is correct and which one is wrong and why?



Answer



When you have a dividing line which is between two dielectrics parallel to the plates you have to ask yourself; is the dividing line an equipotential?


That is relatively easy for diagram B as there is no change of dielectric on either side of the dividing line.



In diagram A there is a change of dielectric on either side of the dividing line and so in all probability there is a change in the potential along that line.


To check what I have written use diagram B find the the potential between the two dielectric.
Now imagine continuing that dividing line into the bottom dielectric and find the potential along that line.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Understanding Stagnation point in pitot fluid

What is stagnation point in fluid mechanics. At the open end of the pitot tube the velocity of the fluid becomes zero.But that should result...