Capacitor with two angled dielectric materials

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the capacitance of a capacitor with two angled dielectric materials, utilizing the formula for capacitance of parallel plate capacitors with dielectric materials. The user employs calculus to derive the differential capacitance of two capacitors in series, defined by the equations C1 = (e1Ldx)/(H - (Hx/L)) and C2 = (e2Ldx)/(Hx/L). The challenge arises when verifying the result for equal dielectric constants (e1 = e2), indicating a potential misconfiguration in the integral setup. The community confirms the user's approach is correct but suggests checking the integral's form for accuracy.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of capacitance in parallel plate capacitors
  • Knowledge of calculus, specifically integration techniques
  • Familiarity with dielectric materials and their properties
  • Basic understanding of series and parallel circuit configurations
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the derivation of capacitance for parallel plate capacitors with multiple dielectrics
  • Study the application of calculus in electrical engineering problems
  • Learn about limits and their role in evaluating functions approaching equality
  • Explore numerical methods for solving integrals in capacitor calculations
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in electrical engineering, particularly those focusing on capacitor design and analysis, as well as anyone interested in the application of calculus in electrical systems.

Siberion
Messages
31
Reaction score
1

Homework Statement


Find the capacitance of the capacitor shown in the figure. Asume H << L.
http://imageshack.us/a/img39/1935/capacitor.png

Homework Equations



Capacitance of a plate parallel capacitor with a dielectric material e: eA/H where A denotes the area of the plate, and H the separation between plates


The Attempt at a Solution


My thoughts:

The line separating the dielectric materials can be written as f(x)=Hx/L (I rotated the system so the line starts in the origin)
The system can be considered as multiple parallel capacitors in which the proportion of the dielectric changes at the rate given by the linear equation.
First, I calculated the differential capacitance of two capacitors in series, whose length is dx. Their capacitances are given by:

C1= \frac{e1Ldx}{H-\frac{Hx}{L}}
C2= \frac{e2Ldx}{\frac{Hx}{L}}

After getting the equivalent capacitance, I integrated from 0 to L, hoping to get the total capacitance of the system.
Thing is, when I assume e1=e2, I don't get the capacitance of a normal plate parallel capacitor with one dielectric material.

I really want to know if the logic of my process is okay, because I've tried about 5 times to check if calculus are done right.

Sorry for my english and the simplicity of my explanation, I'll try to explain further when I get a little more time.

Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Your method is correct. Checking the final answer for e1 = e2 could be a little tricky because it might require taking a limit as e1 approaches e2. An easy thing you can do is let e1 = e2 before doing the integral and see if the integral gives the expected result. If not, you know you haven't set up the integral correctly.

It would help if you would show the form of the integral that you set up. From your expressions, it appears that the capacitor plates are squares of edge length L.
 

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
6K
Replies
3
Views
2K