18-5-capacitors-and-dielectrics_summary

In the 18.5 Capacitors and Dielectrics section, the student will learn about capacitors and dielectrics, focusing on their ability to store electrical energy. By the end of the section, the student is expected to: 1. Calculate the energy stored in a charged capacitor and the capacitance of a capacitor. 2. Explain the properties of capacitors and dielectrics. Key terms introduced in the section include capacitors and dielectrics. Capacitors are vital components of electrical circuits, used in all electrical devices, regardless of whether they have an explicit capacitor. Capacitance, which is a measure of a capacitor's ability to store energy, is defined as the ratio of the charge on each capacitor plate to the potential difference between those plates. The unit of capacitance is the farad (F). Dielectrics are introduced as a way to increase the amount of energy that can be stored in a capacitor by polarizing the material, which weakens the electric field and stores energy in the molecules of the dielectric as they act like tiny springs. The dielectric constant is a dimensionless constant called kappa, which is greater than 1 for dielectrics and increases the capacitance when a dielectric is placed between the capacitor plates. The section includes various real-world examples and practices to help students better understand the concepts of capacitance, energy storage in capacitors, and the effect of dielectrics on capacitance.