Parallel Plate Capacitor Capacitance Calculator







Formula

The formula to calculate the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is:

\[ C = \frac{\varepsilon_0 \varepsilon_r A}{l} \]

Where:

What is Capacitance?

Capacitance is a measure of a capacitor's ability to store charge. It depends on the physical characteristics of the capacitor, such as the surface area of the plates, the distance between them, and the dielectric material between the plates. Capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits for various purposes, including filtering, energy storage, and signal coupling.

Example Calculation

Let's assume the following values:

Step 1: Convert the area from cm\(^2\) to m\(^2\):

\[ A = 200 \times 10^{-4} = 0.02 \text{ m}^2 \]

Step 2: Convert the separation from mm to m:

\[ l = 2 \times 10^{-3} = 0.002 \text{ m} \]

Step 3: Calculate the capacitance:

\[ C = \frac{8.85 \times 10^{-12} \times 6 \times 0.02}{0.002} = 5.31 \times 10^{-10} \text{ F} \]

Convert to microfarads:

\[ C = 5.31 \times 10^{-10} \text{ F} \times 10^6 = 0.531 \text{ µF} \]