Current leakage between the charged plates of a capacitor

In summary, the conversation discusses the relationships between charge, voltage, and current in an electrical circuit. The first equation shows that charge is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to the material's dielectric constant, permittivity, cross-sectional area, and length. The second equation relates current to voltage, cross-sectional area, length, and resistivity. The third equation shows a mistake in the second equation, as the charge is actually decreasing by ΔQ, not increasing. The correct equation would be ΔQ = -Q/(kappa*epsilon*rho) * Δt. The conversation concludes with a calculation using the limit as Δt approaches 0, which results in the correct equation Δt = kappa*epsilon*rho.
  • #1
archaic
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Homework Statement
A charged plate capacitor is filled with a dielectric of dielectric constant ##\kappa=2.50## and resistivity ##\rho=1.90\times10^{15}\,\Omega m##. It is first charged to ##Q=8.00\,\mu C##.
1) What is the magnitude of the leakage current in amps?
2) What is time interval (in hours) over which the charge on the capacitor will fall to ##1/e## of its initial value?
Relevant Equations
$$I=\frac{A\Delta V}{\ell\rho}$$$$C=\frac{\kappa\epsilon_0A}{\ell}$$
1)$$\frac{Q}{\Delta V}=\frac{\kappa\epsilon_0A}{\ell}\Leftrightarrow\Delta V=\frac{Q\ell}{\kappa\epsilon_0A}$$$$I=\frac{A\Delta V}{\ell\rho}=\frac{Q}{\kappa\epsilon_0\rho}$$
2) The charge is decreasing by ##\Delta Q##, so ##Q(t)=Q-\Delta Q##.$$I=\frac{\Delta Q}{\Delta t}\Leftrightarrow\Delta Q=\frac{Q}{\kappa\epsilon_0\rho}\Delta t$$$$Q-\Delta Q=\frac{Q}{e}\Leftrightarrow\frac{Q}{\kappa\epsilon_0\rho}\Delta t=\frac{e-1}{e}Q\Leftrightarrow\Delta t=\left(\frac{e-1}{e}\right)\kappa\epsilon_0\rho$$
I divide by ##3600## to get the result in hours.

I am getting that 2) is wrong, though. I entered the values correctly. Here's the calculation as I have done it on desmos
Capture.PNG

Is ##I=\Delta Q/\Delta t## a wrong assumption in this case?
 
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  • #2
I think you could try take the limit in $$\Delta Q = \frac{Q}{\kappa \rho \varepsilon }\Delta t$$, not only, i think we need a negative sign here, otherwise
$$\Delta Q$$
would end being positive.
 
  • #3
LCSphysicist said:
I think you could try take the limit in $$\Delta Q = \frac{Q}{\kappa \rho \varepsilon }\Delta t$$
Hm$$\frac{dQ}{dt}=-\frac{Q}{\kappa\epsilon_0\rho}\Leftrightarrow-\kappa\epsilon_0\rho\frac{dQ}{Q}=dt\Leftrightarrow-\kappa\epsilon_0\rho\ln\left(\frac{Q'}{Q_0}\right)=\Delta t$$with ##Q'=Q_0/e##, I get ##\Delta t=\kappa\epsilon_0\rho##.
LCSphysicist said:
i think we need a negative sign here
yep, I added that in ##Q-\Delta Q##, but not in the first formula since the question asked for the magnitude.
This is it! Thank you. :)
 
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