Designing a Series Capacitor & Battery Setup

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the design of a series capacitor and battery setup, specifically focusing on the possibility of having unequal charge on one plate of the capacitor while maintaining a connection to the battery. Participants explore various configurations, including the use of different dielectrics and other devices.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks if it is possible to design a series capacitor setup where one plate has an unequal amount of charge.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of the question, suggesting that it may relate to homework or work-related problems.
  • A participant shares their background in reviewing circuits and dielectrics, noting that inserting a dielectric does not seem to alter the electric field when the capacitor is connected to a battery.
  • There is a suggestion that static charge could be deposited on one plate to create an unequal charge, but this would require a diode to prevent leakage.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the feasibility of achieving unequal charge without adding static charge, questioning if there are better methods.
  • A participant explains the function of a diode, indicating that it allows current flow in one direction while blocking it in the other.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether it is possible to achieve unequal charge on the capacitor plates while connected to a battery. Multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the methods and implications of such a setup.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about the behavior of dielectrics and capacitors in series, particularly regarding electric fields and charge distribution. The discussion includes unresolved questions about the effects of different configurations and the role of static charge.

casanova2528
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can you design a series capacitor and battery set up where one plate of a capacitor in series has an unequal amount of charge ? Feel free to use different dielectrics or any other devices, but the set up must be in series.
 
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casanova2528 said:
can you design a series capacitor and battery set up where one plate of a capacitor in series has an unequal amount of charge ? Feel free to use different dielectrics or any other devices, but the set up must be in series.

What is the context of your question? Is this for school or for work?
 
berkeman said:
What is the context of your question? Is this for school or for work?

It's a question I thought about as I working on some dielectric problems. what's with your question? What if my question was for work or for school...what difference does that make?
 
The difference is this isn't a "do my homework for me" forum. We want people to show some effort at answering their own questions (even questions that aren't homework, for that matter).
 
russ_watters said:
The difference is this isn't a "do my homework for me" forum. We want people to show some effort at answering their own questions (even questions that aren't homework, for that matter).

Here's my background. I am reviewing my circuits, and I am in the section of dielectrics and capacitors. I've been comparing what happens to the electric field as you insert and take out a dielectric with a constant more than 1 as the battery remains connected. If you do the math, you'll know that the electric field will be the same indicating that the charge on the plates will be the same for a parallel plate capacitor. So, I am wondering if there is any way you can alter the electric field by placing a different amount of charge on each plate as you maintain battery connection using dielectrics.

Trust me...I've done all the math behind all the steps to get to this point. I've compared inserting a conductor and a dielectric...and if you've done the math..you'll see that you will alter the electric field when you insert the conductor due to the change in distance...more charge will flow from battery to the parallel plate. However, Dielectric insertion is different. You can't seem to alter the electric field when the parallel plate capacitors are hooked up to the battery.

I apologize for my rudeness. how can you alter the electric field using dielectrics and anything else while maintaining the battery hook up? The circuit must be in series.
 
Last edited:
berkeman said:
What is the context of your question? Is this for school or for work?

I'm sorry for being rude, but I had just woken up to the surprise of a quick reply to my question that I've been waiting for. When I discovered my question was answered with another question, I became agitated.. I'm sorry. I need your assistance.
 
casanova2528 said:
I'm sorry for being rude, but I had just woken up to the surprise of a quick reply to my question that I've been waiting for. When I discovered my question was answered with another question, I became agitated.. I'm sorry. I need your assistance.

No worries. I think Russ' explanation helped you to understand how we do things here at the PF.

To the question you are asking - you can charge up a capacitor, and then deposit static charge on one plate to make the amount of charge on the two plates unequal, but I'm not sure that's what you are asking. You'd need a diode in series anyway to make the extra charge not able to leak off. But the excess static charge on the one plate (call it the - plate, so the excess charge is electrons) will have a very weak extra contribution to the electric field in the cap gap -- the field would be terminating on whatever the source was for the excess charge. Maybe you could put a floating plate on the far side of the + cap plate, and suck electrons off and deposit them on the - plate of the cap...
 
Even if you have 2 different dielectrics inserted in on capacitor to create a series capacitor system, the charges on the plates seem to be the same when battery remains connected.
 
what does a diode do?
 
  • #10
there has to be a better way than to add static charge.
 
  • #11
casanova2528 said:
what does a diode do?

Just do a quick search at wikipedia.org -- a diode basically blocks current flow in one direction, but allows it (with a small voltage drop) in the other diretion. These are referred to as the reverse and forward directions, respectively.

casanova2528 said:
there has to be a better way than to add static charge.

Well, if you want uneven charge on the two capacitor plates, that would be the main way to do it.

I still honestly have no idea what you are asking for, so it's hard to think of alternatives.
 

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