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The Physics Teacher -- February 2006 -- Volume 44, Issue 2, pp. 106

When Is a Capacitor NOT a Capacitor?

Biswajit Ray

Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA

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This paper presents a simple yet effective experiment-based exercise that leads students to develop a circuit model for real capacitors. Additionally, this exercise drives home the point that characteristics of commonly used electrical components are heavily dependent on operating frequency. In this context a concise discussion of equivalent-series-resistance and equivalent-series-inductance for capacitors is presented.

© 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

physics education, educational aids, student experiments, electric current, capacitors, electric impedance, oscilloscopes, resistors

PACS

  • 01.50.Pa

    Laboratory experiments and apparatus

  • 07.68.+m

    Photography, photographic instruments; xerography

  • 41.90.+e

    Other topics in electromagnetism; electron and ion optics (restricted to new topics in section 41)

History
Online Jan 2006

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.2165442

  1. Tektronix Corp., DC Coupled Current Probe (TCP202); http://www.tek.com/site/ps/51-10736/pdfs/51W_10736.pdf.
  2. J. Cain, "Parasitic inductance of multilayer ceramic capacitors," AVX Corp.; http://www.avx.com/docs/techinfo/parasitc.pdf.
  3. L.D. Smith and D. Hockanson, "Distributed SPICE circuit model for ceramic capacitors," Proc. IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (May–June, 2001).
  4. F. W. Grover, Inductance Calculations: Working Formulas and Tables (Dover Publications, New York, 1973).
  5. T. Healy, "The Inductance of a Straight Wire," Santa Clara University, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, 2000. A brief explanation of the work can be obtained at http://www.ee.scu.edu/eefac/healy/indwire.html.
  6. M. T. Thompson, "Inductance calculation techniques—Part II: Approximations and handbook methods," Power Control and Intelligent Motion (Dec. 1999).
  7. A. W. Barr, "Calculation of frequency-dependent impedance for conductors of rectangular cross-section," AMP J. Technol. 1, 91–100 (1991).


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