The experiment can be repeated with different capacitors. Plot a graph of Q against V. Episode 126-2: Measuring the charge on a capacitor (Word, 47 KB) The second investigation of the relationship between charge and pd makes use of a change-over reed switch. Students may have met simple on/off reed switches in technology or even in primary school.
Capacitors used within high energy capacitor banks can violently explode when a fault in one capacitor causes sudden dumping of energy stored in the rest of the bank into the failing unit. And, high voltage vacuum capacitors can generate soft X-rays even during normal operation.
Two experiments are possible; this one makes use of a coulomb meter. By charging a suitable capacitor to different voltages and measuring the charge stored each time, you have a rapid confirmation of the relationship Q ∝ V. The experiment can be repeated with different capacitors. Plot a graph of Q against V.
The dielectric material varies. Paper, plastic, oil, ceramic, resin or epoxy and air are all materials used as a dielectric in a capacitor. In this experiment you will learn how to make a simple capacitor and to test the capacitor in a circuit. The results are then compared to test results of a commercially produced capacitor.
[ View Experiment] A capacitor is an electrical device that can store energy in the electric field between a pair of conductors. Capacitance is the ability of a body to hold an electrical charge. A capacitor is an electrical/electronic device that can store energy in the electric field between a pair of conductors (called "plates").
In the experiment, our capacitor is similar to an aluminum electrolytic capacitor, except instead of using borax paste for the dielectric, we used a sheet of wax paper. Our capacitor uses the two aluminum foil squares to store positive and negative charges. The charge on the capacitor is proportional to the voltage across the capacitor.