What happens to current between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor?

Question

How continuity of current is maintained between plates of a parallel plate capacitor?

Answer 1

The plate of the capacitor itself become a source of charge--so as current flows in the rest of the circuit, the plates become more and more polarized. It becomes increasingly difficult to pull more charge off the plates, and eventually this stops the current.

Although there is no charge flowing between the plates, Ampere's law still works, but in a modified form. This is because the electric field between the plates is changing with time, and a changing electric field creates a magnetic field. The changing field is sometimes cast as a fictitious current, called the "displacement current" to make everything look like the movement of charge.

Answer 2

In a circuit containing a parallel-plate capacitor and a power source (such as a battery), the power source provides energy for charges to move to the plates of the capacitor - negative charges on one plate and positive ones on the other plate. This effectively creates an electric field between the plates of the capacitor. This field stores energy and it is the energy that flows across the space between the plates - not the charges. The flow of energy between the plates effectively maintains the continuity of 'current' between the capacior plates.

Answer 3

When a DC is applied to a uncharged Capacitor current will flow for few seconds depend up on the time constant of the circuits then when the capacitor is fully charged current flow will stop because capacitor is fully charged to applied voltage. Current only will flow when there is a potential differance.As we know capacitor is a two metal plate seperated by dielectric material is a enery storage device in capacitor energy is stored in the form of voltage

Answer 4

Steady state Direct Current is blocked just like an open circuit, and Alternating Current passes as the plates continually change from positive to negative charge. Any circuit conditions that cause a changing level of charge on the plates causes current to be passed through the capacitor. However, just as a resistor impedes the flow of AC or DC current, a capacitor impedes the flow of AC current by virtue of it's capacitive reactance Xc which is dependent on the capacitance C and the frequency f in Hertz. The higher the frequency, the lower the capacitive reactance and the greater the AC current flow through the capacitor.

Answer 5

As soon as a voltage is applied across the plates, (provided the cap has no charge) will appear as a dead short, but only for a very brief moment. but as the voltage increases across the plates the current diminishes, until the cap is charged up. Then the current reduces to virtually zero ( depending on the cap make)

The time to charge a cap is T = C * R
T it takes approximately 5 time constants to charge up a cap.

Now the cap will hold this charge until it is discharged. Since the plates are separated by an insulator, the current will not discharge.

This site will help, as it has drawing and graphs showing charge and discharge rates

Word of caution, since a cap can hold a charge, if high voltage is used across a cap, it can hold this charge for some time, and can be hazardous if not handled correctly.

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/capacit.htm

Answer 6

Ideal Capactor prevents electrons from moving across the dielectrics. It does allow the electric fields to affects the electrons and protons on the both sides of the plates.

As previous answer has stated that there is no DC current when it becomes steady state ( DC voltages maintained), there is no continuity of current.

As the voltage across the plates starts to varies, the electric fields across the plates changes and thus affects the number of ions across the plates. When ion moves, there is current.

Answer 7

Thank you for answering my question about the equation, but you misunderstood it. I was asking about cubic, quartic, etc equations, not about quadratic equations.

I suggest you to enable the possibility that other members can contact you.

About your question, one plate will get charged with q and the other one, with -q until you get to a point where this stops.

q = c v, v is the voltage, q is the charge, and c is the capacity.

remember that dq/dt = i. You can derivate Kirchhoff laws to solve a circuit rlc, etc.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

the current or electrons are stored in 1 side because the electron cannot cross the gap inside the capasitor. When the power is turned off, the electrons in that side jump to the other side because of static electricity

Answer 9

Um. errrrr. Ahhhhh.....


I know this one.

Just give me a second.


Ahhhhh.

Ummmmm.


The correct answer Mr. Wizard is. ahhhhhhhhhhhh

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Answer 10

remains constant.