Question

What determines the capacitance of a capacitor ?

Answer 1

Hint:In an electric field, a capacitor is a device that stores electric charge. It's a two-terminal passive electronic component. Capacitance is the term used to describe the effect of a capacitor. A capacitor is a two-terminal passive electrical component used to electrostatically store energy in an electric field. Practical capacitors come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they all have at least two electrical conductors separated by a dielectric.

Complete answer:
The ratio of the amount of electric charge deposited on a conductor to the difference in electric potential is known as capacitance. Self-capacitance and reciprocal capacitance are two closely related concepts of capacitance. Self-capacitance is a property of any material that can be electrically charged.

The farad (symbol: F) is also the SI unit of capacitance, named after English physicist Michael Faraday. When charged with 1 coulomb of electrical charge, a 1 farad capacitor has a potential difference of 1 volt between its plates. The area of the capacitor's plates and the distance between them are the two most important factors.

Other considerations include the dielectric properties of the substrate between the plates, as well as whether the capacitor is in a vacuum, air, or another liquid. The capacitor equation is given as:
\[C=\kappa .{{\varepsilon }_{0}}.\dfrac{A}{d}\]
Where \[C\] is the Capacitance, \[\kappa \]= Dielectric constant, based on the material used, \[{{\varepsilon }_{0}}\]= Permittivity constant, \[A\]= Area of the plates and \[d\]= Distance between the plates

From this we get to know that how it will effect
a) PLATE AREA: When all other factors are equal, a larger plate area equals a higher capacitance; a smaller plate area equals a lower capacitance.
Explanation: For a given field power, a larger plate area results in more field flux (charge accumulated on the plates) (voltage across the plates).

b) PLATE SPACING: When all other variables are equal, a larger plate spacing results in less capacitance, while a smaller plate spacing results in more capacitance.
Explanation: For any given voltage applied across the plates, closer spacing results in a greater field force (voltage across the capacitor divided by the distance between the plates), which results in a greater field flux (charge accumulated on the plates).

c) DIELECTRIC MATERIAL: When all other variables are equal, higher dielectric permittivity equals higher capacitance; lower dielectric permittivity equals lower capacitance.
Explanation: Certain materials have less resistance to field flux for a given amount of field force, despite the fact that it's difficult to understand. For any given amount of field force, materials with a higher permittivity allow for more field flux (less opposition) and thus a higher collected charge (applied voltage).

Note: These are the three basic factors that determine the amount of capacitance generated by a capacitor. All of these variables influence capacitance by influencing how much electric field flux (the relative difference of electrons between plates) develops for a given amount of electric field power.