Calculating Capacitance

Capacitance is a fundamental electrical property that measures a component's ability to store an electric charge. A capacitor is a device specifically designed for this purpose. The relationship between the charge (\(Q\)) stored on a capacitor, the voltage (\(V\)) across it, and its capacitance (\(C\)) is given by a simple formula.

The question provides us with the following information:

• Charge stored, \(Q = 0.12\) Coulombs (C)
• Voltage across the capacitor, \(V = 10\) Volts (V)

We need to find the capacitance (\(C\)).

The relationship between charge, voltage, and capacitance is:

\begin{equation*} Q = C \times V \end{equation*}

To find the capacitance \(C\), we can rearrange this formula:

\begin{equation*} C = \frac{Q}{V} \end{equation*}

Now, we substitute the given values of \(Q\) and \(V\) into this formula:

\begin{equation*} C = \frac{0.12 \text{ C}}{10 \text{ V}} \end{equation*}

Performing the division, we get:

\begin{equation*} C = 0.012 \text{ Farads} \end{equation*}

The unit of capacitance is the Farad (F).

Therefore, the capacitance of the capacitor is 0.012 F.

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Additional Information on Capacitance and Capacitors

Capacitors are essential components in electronic circuits. They can store electrical energy in an electric field between two conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. Here are a few related points:

• Energy Stored: A charged capacitor stores electrical potential energy. The energy (\(U\)) stored can be calculated using the formulas: \(U = \frac{1}{2}CV^2 = \frac{1}{2}\frac{Q^2}{C} = \frac{1}{2}QV\).
• Types of Capacitors: Capacitors come in various types, such as electrolytic capacitors, ceramic capacitors, film capacitors, and supercapacitors, each suited for different applications based on capacitance value, voltage rating, and frequency response.
• Dielectric Material: The insulating material between the plates significantly affects the capacitance. Different dielectric materials have different dielectric constants, which influence how much charge can be stored for a given voltage.
• Applications: Capacitors are used in many applications, including filtering power supply ripple, tuning radio frequency circuits, timing circuits, and energy storage in camera flashes and defibrillators.