4/14/2019 Homework #05 (phy 112)

Homework #05 (phy 112)

Due: 11:00pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2019
To understand how points are awarded, read the Grading Policy for this assignment.

Capacitance: A Review

Learning Goal:

To review the meaning of capacitance and ways of changing the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor.

Capacitance is one of the central concepts in electrostatics. Understanding its meaning and the difference between its definition
and the ways of calculating capacitance can be challenging at first. This tutorial is meant to help you become more comfortable
with capacitance. Recall the fundamental formula for capacitance:
C = Q/V ,

where C is the capacitance in farads, Q is the charge stored on the plates in coulombs, and V is the potential difference (or
voltage) between the plates. In the following problems it may help to keep in mind that the voltage is related to the strength of the
electric field E and the distance between the plates, d, by

V = Ed .

Part A
What property of objects is best measured by their capacitance?

ANSWER:

the ability to conduct electric current

the ability to distort an external electrostatic field

the ability to store charge

Correct
Capacitance is a measure of the ability of a system of two conductors to store electric charge and energy. It is
defined as C = Q/V . This ratio remains constant as long as the system retains its geometry and the amount of
dielectric does not change. Capacitors are special devices designed to combine a large capacitance with a small
size. However, any pair of conductors separated by a dielectric (or vacuum) has some capacitance. Even an
isolated electrode has a small capacitance. That is, if a charge Q is placed on it, its potential V with respect to
ground would change, and the ratio Q/V is its capacitance C .

Part B
Consider an air-filled charged capacitor. How can its capacitance be increased?

Hint 1. What does capacitance depend on?

Capacitance depends on the inherent properties of the system of conductors, such as its geometry and the presence
of dielectric, not on the charge placed on the conductors. Specifically, capacitance depends on the area A of the
conducting plates and the distance d between the plates and is given by

A
C = ϵ0 ,
d
where ϵ0 is a constant called the permittivity of free space.

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ANSWER:

Increase the charge on the capacitor.

Decrease the charge on the capacitor.

Increase the spacing between the plates of the capacitor.

Decrease the spacing between the plates of the capacitor.

Increase the length of the wires leading to the capacitor plates.

Correct

Part C
Consider a charged parallel-plate capacitor. How can its capacitance be halved?
Check all that apply.

ANSWER:

Double the charge.

Double the plate area.

Double the plate separation.

Halve the charge.

Halve the plate area.

Halve the plate separation.

Correct

Part D
Consider a charged parallel-plate capacitor. Which combination of changes would quadruple its capacitance?
ANSWER:

Double the charge and double the plate area.

Double the charge and double the plate separation.

Halve the charge and double the plate separation.

Halve the charge and double the plate area.

Halve the plate separation and double the plate area.

Double the plate separation and halve the plate area.

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Correct

Parallel-Plate Capacitors with Different Surface Areas

Suppose two parallel-plate capacitors have the same charge Q, but the area of capacitor 1 is A and the area of capacitor 2 is
2A.

Part A
If the spacing between the plates, d, is the same in both capacitors, and the voltage across capacitor 1 is V , what is the
voltage across capacitor 2?

Hint 1. How to approach the problem

The voltage between the plates of a capacitor is proportional to the charge accumulated on the plates. The
proportionality constant in this relation depends on the geometry of the capacitor. Therefore, it will be different for
capacitors 1 and 2. To solve this problem you can use proportional reasoning to find this relation between voltage V
and charge Q.

Find the simplest equation that contains these variables and other known quantities from the problem.
Write this equation twice, once to describe capacitor 1 and again to relate the same quantities for
capacitor 2.
You need to write each equation so that all the constants are on one side and your variables are on the
other. Since your variable is V in this problem, you want to write your equations in the form V = ….
To finish the problem you need compare the two cases presented in the problem. For this question you
should find the ratio of the voltage in capacitor 2, V2 , to that in capacitor 1, V1 : V2 /V1 .

Hint 2. Find an expression for the voltage between the plates

Which of the following expressions gives the magnitude of the voltage between the plates of a capacitor of
capacitance C ? In the expressions below, Q is the magnitude of the charge accumulated on either plate of the
capacitor.

ANSWER:

V = C/Q

V = Q/C

V = CQ

2
V = Q /C

Hint 3. Capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor

The capacitance C of a parallel-plate capacitor in vacuum is directly proportional to the area A of each plate and
inversely proportional to the separation d between the plates:

A
C = ϵ0 ,
d

where ϵ0 is a the permittivity of free space expressed in C2 /N ⋅ m2 .

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ANSWER:

V /2

2V

4V

Correct
Even though the spacing between the plates is the same in both capacitors, the capacitor with the larger plates
has a lower voltage between its plates. In fact, because the capacitors are equally charged, capacitor 2 has a
smaller surface charge density, and therefore a weaker electric field between its plates. Since the voltage between
two parallel plates is proportional to the electric field, capacitor 2 also has a lower voltage.

Part B
If the spacing between the plates in capacitor 1 is d, what should the spacing between the plates in capacitor 2 be to make
the capacitance of the two capacitors equal?

Hint 1. How to approach the problem

The capacitance of a capacitor depends on the geometry of the capacitor. In particular, for a parallel-plate capacitor,
there exists a simple relation among the capacitance C , the surface area A of the plates, and the separation d
between the plates. To solve this problem you can use proportional reasoning to find this relation.

Find the simplest equation that contains these variables and other known quantities from the problem.
Write this equation twice, once to describe capacitor 1 and again to relate the same quantities for
capacitor 2.
You need to write each equation so that all the constants are on one side and your variables are on the
other. Since your variable is d in this problem, you want to write your equations in the form d = … .
To finish the problem you need compare the two cases presented in the problem. For this question you
should find the ratio of the spacing between the plates in capacitor 2, d2 , to that in capacitor 1, d1 :
d2 /d1 .

Hint 2. Find an expression for the spacing between the plates of a capacitor

Given a parallel-plate capacitor of capacitance C and surface area A, which of the following expressions gives the
2
separation d between the plates? In the equations below, ϵ0 is a constant expressed in C /N ⋅ m2 .

ANSWER:

2
d = ϵ0 A C

d = ϵ0 AC

C
d = ϵ0
A

A
d = ϵ0
C

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ANSWER:

d/2

2d

4d

Correct
Since the capacitance of a capacitor depends only on the geometry of the capacitor, capacitors 1 and 2 have the
same capacitance only when the spacing between the plates in capacitor 2 is twice that in capacitor 1. This
balances the effect of the different areas of the two capacitors.

Problem 18.11: Axons.

Neurons are the basic units of the nervous system. They contain long tubular structures called axons that propagate electrical
+
signals away from the ends of the neurons. The axon contains a solution of potassium ions K and large negative organic ions.
+
The axon membrane prevents the large ions from leaking out, but the smaller K ions are able to penetrate the membrane to
some degree. (See .) This leaves an excess negative charge on the inner surface of the
axon membrane and an excess of positive charge on the outer surface, resulting in a
potential difference across the membrane that prevents further K+ ions from leaking out.
Measurements show that this potential difference is typically about 70 mV . The thickness
of the axon membrane itself varies from about 4 to 11 nm , so we'll use an average of 7.5
nm . We can model the membrane as a large sheet having equal and opposite charge

densities on its faces.

Part A
Find the electric field inside the axon membrane, assuming (not too realistically) that it is filled with air.
Express your answer in volts per meter using two significant figures.

ANSWER:

E = 9.3×106 V/m

Correct

Part B
Which way does the electric field point, into or out of the axon?
ANSWER:

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into the axon

out of the axon

Correct

Part C
Which is at a higher potential, the inside surface or the outside surface of the axon membrane?
ANSWER:

inside surface

outside surface

Correct

Problem 18.14

Two very large metal parallel plates are 20.0 cm apart and carry equal, but opposite, surface charge densities. shows a graph of
the potential, relative to the negative plate, as a function of x. For this case, x is the
distance from the inner surface of the negative plate, measured perpendicular to the
plates, and points from the negative plate toward the positive plate.

Part A
Find the electric field between the plates.

Express your answer in volts per meter to two significant figures.

ANSWER:

E = 25 V/m

Correct

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Capacitors in Parallel

Learning Goal:
To understand how to calculate capacitance, voltage, and charge for a parallel combination of capacitors.
Frequently, several capacitors are connected together to form a collection of capacitors. We may be interested in determining
the overall capacitance of such a collection. The simplest configuration to analyze involves capacitors connected in series or in
parallel. More complicated setups can often (though not always!) be treated by combining the rules for these two cases.
Consider the example of a parallel combination of capacitors: Three capacitors are connected to each other and to a battery as
shown in the figure. The individual capacitances are C , 2C , and 3C ,
and the battery's voltage is V .

Part A
If the potential of plate 1 is V , then, in equilibrium, what are the potentials of plates 3 and 6? Assume that the negative
terminal of the battery is at zero potential.

Hint 1. Electrostatic equilibrium

When electrostatic equilibrium is reached, all objects connected by a conductor (by wires, for example) must have
the same potential. Which plates on this diagram are at the same potential?

ANSWER:

V and V

2V and 3V

V and 0

V V
and
2 3

Correct

Part B

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If the charge of the first capacitor (the one with capacitance C ) is Q, then what are the charges of the second and third
capacitors?

Hint 1. Definition of capacitance

Capacitance C is given by Q/V , where Q is the charge of the capacitor and V is the voltage across it.

Hint 2. Voltages across the capacitors

As established earlier, the voltage across each capacitor is V . The voltage is always the same for capacitors
connected in parallel.

ANSWER:

2Q and 3Q

Q Q
and
2 3

Q and Q

0 and 0

Correct

Part C
Suppose we consider the system of the three capacitors as a single "equivalent" capacitor. Given the charges of the three
individual capacitors calculated in the previous part, find the total charge Qtot for this equivalent capacitor.

Express your answer in terms of V and C .

ANSWER:

Q
tot
= 6CV

Correct

Part D
Using the value of Qtot , find the equivalent capacitance Ceq for this combination of capacitors.

Express your answer in terms of C .

Hint 1. Using the definition of capacitance

Use the general formula C = Q/V to find Ceq . The charge on the "equivalent" capacitor is Qtot , and the voltage
across this capacitor is the voltage across the battery, V .

ANSWER:

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Ceq = 6C

Correct
The formula for combining three capacitors in parallel is
Cparallel = C1 + C2 + C3 .

How do you think this formula may be generalized to n capacitors?

Capacitors in Series

Learning Goal:

To understand how to calculate capacitance, voltage, and charge for a combination of capacitors connected in series.

Consider the combination of capacitors shown in the figure. Three

capacitors are connected to each other in series, and then to the
battery. The values of the capacitances are C , 2C , and 3C , and the
applied voltage is ΔV . Initially, all of the capacitors are completely
discharged; after the battery is connected, the charge on plate 1 is Q.

Part A
What are the charges on plates 3 and 6?

Hint 1. Charges on capacitors connected in series

When the plates of two adjacent capacitors are connected, the sum of the charges on the two plates must remain
zero, since the pair is isolated from the rest of the circuit; that is, Q2 + Q3 = 0 and Q4 + Q5 = 0, where Qi is the
charge on plate i.

Hint 2. The charges on a capacitor's plates

When electrostatic equilibrium is reached, the charges on the two plates of a capacitor must have equal magnitude
and opposite sign.

ANSWER:

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+Q and +Q

−Q and −Q

+Q and −Q

−Q and +Q

0 and +Q

0 and −Q

Correct

Part B
If the voltage across the first capacitor (the one with capacitance C ) is ΔV1 , then what are the voltages across the second
and third capacitors?

Hint 1. Definition of capacitance

Q
The capacitance C is given by , where Q is the charge of the capacitor and Δ V is the voltage across it.
ΔV

Hint 2. Charges on the capacitors

As established earlier, the absolute value of the charge on each plate is Q: It is the same for all three capacitors and
thus for all six plates.

ANSWER:

2ΔV1 and 3ΔV1

1 1
ΔV1 and ΔV1
2 3

ΔV1 and ΔV1

0 and ΔV1

Correct

Part C
Find the voltage ΔV1 across the first capacitor.

Express your answer in terms of ΔV .

Hint 1. How to analyze voltages

According to the law of conservation of energy, the sum of the voltages across the capacitors must equal the voltage
of the battery.
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ANSWER:

6ΔV
ΔV1 =
11

Correct

Part D
Find the charge Q on the first capacitor.

Express your answer in terms of C and ΔV1 .

ANSWER:

Q = CΔV1

Correct

Part E
Using the value of Q just calculated, find the equivalent capacitance Ceq for this combination of capacitors in series.

Express your answer in terms of C .

Hint 1. Using the definition of capacitance

The "equivalent" capacitor has the same charge as each of the individual capacitors: Q. Use the general formula
Q
C = to find Ceq .
ΔV

ANSWER:

6C
Ceq =
11

Correct
The formula for combining three capacitors in series is
1 1 1 1
= + + .
Cseries C1 C2 C3

How do you think this formula may be generalized to n capacitors?

A message from your instructor...

In part A, capacitors 2, 3, and 4 are all connected in parallel. Convince yourself that all three of them are connected to the same
pair of points in the circuit. For part B, are capacitors 2,3,4, and 5 connected to the same pair of points? Can all four be in
parallel?

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Equivalent Capacitance

Consider the combination of capacitors shown in the diagram, where C1 = 3.00 μF , C2 = 11.0 μF , C3 = 3.00 μF , and C4 =
5.00 μF .

Part A
Find the equivalent capacitance CA of the network of capacitors.
Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. How to reduce the network of capacitors

To find the equivalent capacitance of the given network of capacitors, it is most convenient to reduce the network in
successive stages. First, replace the capacitors C2 , C3 , and C4 , which are in parallel, with a single capacitor with
an equivalent capacitance. By doing so, you will reduce the network to a series connection of two capacitors. At this
point, you only need to find their equivalent capacitance.

Hint 2. Find the capacitance equivalent to C2 , C3 , and C4

Find the capacitance C234 equivalent to the parallel connection of the capacitors C2 , C3 , and C4 .
Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. Find the capacitance equivalent to C3 and C4

Find the capacitance C34 equivalent to the parallel connection of the capacitors C3 and C4 .
Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. Two capacitors in parallel

Consider two capacitors of capacitance Ca and Cb connected in parallel. They are equivalent to a
capacitor with capacitance Ceq given by

Ceq = Ca + Cb .

ANSWER:

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C34 = 8.00 μF

ANSWER:

C234 = 19.0 μF

Hint 3. Two capacitors in series

Consider two capacitors of capacitance Ca and Cb connected in series. They are equivalent to a capacitor of
capacitance Ceq that satisfies the following relation:

1 1 1
= + .
Ceq Ca Cb

ANSWER:

CA = 2.59 μF

Correct

Part B
Two capacitors of capacitance C5 = 6.00 μF and C6 = 3.00 μF are added to the network, as shown in the diagram. Find
the equivalent capacitance CB of the new network of capacitors.
Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. How to reduce the extended network of capacitors

To determine the equivalent capacitance of the extended network of capacitors, it is again convenient to reduce the
network in successive stages. First, determine the equivalent capacitance of the series connection of the capacitors
C2 and C6 . Then, combine it with the equivalent capacitance of the parallel connection of C3 , C4 , and C5 , and

replace the five capacitors with their equivalent capacitor. The resulting network will consist of two capacitors in
series. At this point, you only need to find their equivalent capacitance.

Hint 2. Find the equivalent capacitance of C2 , C3 , C4 , C5 , and C6

Find the equivalent capacitance C2−6 of the combination of capacitors C2 , C3 , C4 , C5 , and C6 .
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Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. Find the equivalent capacitance of C2 and C6

Find the equivalent capacitance C26 of the series connection of C2 and C6 .
Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. Two capacitors in series

Consider two capacitors of capacitance Ca and Cb connected in series. They are equivalent to a
capacitor of capacitance Ceq that satisfies the following relation:

1 1 1
= + .
Ceq Ca Cb

ANSWER:

C26 = 2.36 μF

Hint 2. Find the equivalent capacitance of C3 , C4 , and C5

Find the equivalent capacitance C345 of the parallel connection of C3 , C4 , and C5

Express your answer in microfarads.

Hint 1. Three capacitors in parallel

Consider three capacitors of capacitance Ca , Cb , and Cc connected in parallel. They are equivalent
to a capacitor with capacitance Ceq given by

Ceq = Ca + Cb + Cc .

ANSWER:

C345 = 14.0 μF

ANSWER:

C2−6 = 16.4 μF

Hint 3. Two capacitors in series

Consider two capacitors of capacitance Ca and Cb connected in series. They are equivalent to a capacitor of
capacitance Ceq that satisfies the following relation:

1 1 1
= + .
Ceq Ca Cb

ANSWER:

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CB = 2.54 μF

Correct

A message from your instructor...

The hints for each part will help you read the circuit.

± A Simple Network of Capacitors

In the figure are shown three capacitors with capacitances

C1 = 6.00 μF, C2 = 3.00 μF, C3 = 5.00 μF . The capacitor

network is connected to an applied potential Vab . After the charges on

the capacitors have reached their final values, the charge Q2 on the
second capacitor is 40.0 μC.

Part A
What is the charge Q1 on capacitor C1 ?

Hint 1. How to approach the problem

Consider only the initial section of the network (from a to d). Develop a relation between the capacitance and charge
for each capacitor in that section. Use the capacitances C1 and C2 and the final charge Q2 on C2 to calculate the
charge Q1 on C1 .

Hint 2. Series or parallel?

Are capacitors C1 and C2 connected in series or in parallel?

ANSWER:

series

parallel

Hint 3. Calculate the potential difference across the second capacitor

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Calculate the potential difference V2 across the second capacitor.

Express your answer in volts to three significant figures.

Hint 1. Equation for capacitance

Q
Recall that for any capacitor one has the relation C = , where Q is the charge on each plate of the
V
capacitor and V is the potential difference across the capacitor (not the difference across the whole network).

ANSWER:

V2 = 13.3 V

Hint 4. Calculate the potential difference across the first capacitor, V1

Calculate the potential difference V1 across the first capacitor.

Express your answer in volts to three significant figures.

Hint 1. Parallel capacitors and potential difference

If two capacitors are connected in parallel, how are the potential differences across each capacitor related?
Note that the left plate and right plate are connected to points a and d, respectively, for both capacitors.

ANSWER:

V1 = 13.3 V

ANSWER:

Q1 = 80.0 μC

Correct

Part B
What is the charge on capacitor C3 ?
Express your answer in microcoulombs to three significant figures.

Hint 1. How to approach the problem

Determine whether the third capacitor, C3 , is connected in series or in parallel with the first section of the network
(from a to d). Calculate the total charge of the initial section of the network, Qad . Use the result to find the charge on
the third capacitor, Q3 .

Hint 2. Series or parallel?

Is the third capacitor, C3 , connected in series or in parallel with the first section of the network (from a to d)?

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ANSWER:

series

parallel

Hint 3. Capacitors in series

For capacitors connected in series, the positive plate of one capacitor is connected to the negative plate of the other
capacitor. Since the charge on the two plates must come from separation of charges in the initially neutral plates
(charge is never created or destroyed), the two plates must have charges of equal magnitude and opposite signs.
Therefore, the charge must be the same for the two capacitors. In this problem, the network between a and d is in
series with capacitor C3 . Therefore, the total charge on that network must equal the charge on C3 .

Hint 4. Calculate the total charge in the initial section

Calculate Qad , the total charge stored in the initial section.

Express your answer in microcoulombs to three significant figures.

Hint 1. How to find the charge in the initial section

You already know the charge on the first two capacitors, Q1 and Q2 , in the initial section between points a
and d. The total charge must therefore be the sum of the charges in each capacitor.

ANSWER:

Qad = 120 μC

ANSWER:

Q
3
= 120 μC

Correct

Part C
What is the applied voltage, Vab ?
Express your answer in volts to three significant figures.

Hint 1. How to approach the problem

Reduce the network of capacitors to a single equivalent capacitor connecting points a and b directly. Determine the
capacitance Cab and charge Qab on the equivalent capacitor. Then calculate the total potential difference Vab .

Hint 2. Calculate the equivalent capacitance

Calculate the equivalent capacitance Cab of the network.

Express your answer in microfarads to three significant figures.
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Hint 1. Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the initial section

Calculate the equivalent capacitance Cad of the capacitors in the initial section between points a and d.

Express your answer in microfarads to three significant figures.

Hint 1. Capacitance for capacitors in parallel

The total capacitance for two capacitors with capacitances Cα and Cβ connected in parallel is given
by Ctotal = Cα + Cβ .

ANSWER:

Cad = 9.00 μF

Hint 2. Capacitance for capacitors in series

1 1 1
The total capacitance for two capacitors in series, Cα and Cβ , is given by = + . Remember to
Ctotal Cα Cβ

solve for Ctotal and not its reciprocal!

ANSWER:

Cab = 3.21 μF

Hint 3. Find the total charge

Find the total charge Qab stored in the equivalent capacitor.

Express your answer in microcoulombs to three significant figures.

Hint 1. Finding the charge of the equivalent capacitor

Remember that since the section between points a and d and the section between points d and b are in
series, the charge on the equivalent capacitor will be the same as the charge stored in each section. Using
the value of Q3 for the third capacitor in the network, as calculated in Part B, you can show that
Q = Q = Q = Q .
ab ad db 3

ANSWER:

Q
ab
= 120 μC

ANSWER:

Vab = 37.3 V

Correct

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Problem 18.55

For the capacitor network shown in , the potential difference across ab

is 40 V .

Part A
Find the total charge stored in this network.
Express your answer in microcoulombs to one decimal place.

ANSWER:

Q = 2.7 μC

Correct

Part B
Find the charge on the 150 nF capacitor.
Express your answer in microcoulombs to one decimal place.

ANSWER:

Q
150 nF
= 2.7 μC

Correct

Part C
Find the charge on the 120 nF capacitor.
Express your answer in microcoulombs to one decimal place.
ANSWER:

Q
120 nF
= 2.7 μC

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Correct

Part D
Find the total energy stored in the network.
Express your answer in microjoules to one decimal place.

ANSWER:

U = 53.3 μJ

Correct

Part E
Find the energy stored in the 150 nF capacitor.
Express your answer in microjoules to one decimal place.

ANSWER:

U150 nF
= 23.7 μJ

Correct

Part F
Find the energy stored in the 120 nF capacitor.

Express your answer in microjoules to one decimal place.

ANSWER:

U120 nF = 29.6 μJ

Correct

Part G
Find the potential difference across the 150 nF capacitor.

Express your answer in volts as an integer.

ANSWER:

V150 nF = 18 V

Correct

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Part H
Find the potential difference across the 120 nF capacitor.
Express your answer in volts as an integer.
ANSWER:

V120 nF
= 22 V

Correct

Problem 18.56

For the capacitor network shown in , the potential difference across ab

is 320 V .

Part A
Find the total charge stored in this network.
Express your answer in microcoulombs to three significant figures.

ANSWER:

Q = 35.2 μC

Correct

Part B
Find the charge on the 35 nF capacitor.

Express your answers in microcoulombs to one decimal place.

ANSWER:

Q35 = 11.2 μC

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Correct

Part C
Find the charge on the 75 nF capacitor.
Express your answers in microcoulombs to one decimal place.
ANSWER:

Q
75
= 24.0 μC

Correct

Part D
Find the total energy stored in the network.
Express your answer in millijoules to three significant figures.

ANSWER:

U = 5.63 mJ

Correct

Part E
Find the energy stored in the 35 nF capacitor.
Express your answers in millijoules to two decimal places.
ANSWER:

U35 = 1.79 mJ

Correct

Part F
Find the energy stored in the 75 nF capacitor.

Express your answers in millijoules to two decimal places.

ANSWER:

U75 = 3.84 mJ

Correct

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4/14/2019 Homework #05 (phy 112)

Part G
Find the potential difference across the 35 nF capacitor.
Express your answers in volts as an integer.

ANSWER:

V35 = 320 V

Correct

Part H
Find the potential difference across the 75 nF capacitor.
Express your answers in volts as an integer.
ANSWER:

V75 = 320 V

Correct

A message from your instructor...

Be very careful with the units in a part a. The dielectric constant also affects the electric field in it according to E = E0/K where
E0 is the electric field without the dielectric. See section 18.7 (Young) or 19.5 (OpenStax).

Problem 18.59: Cell membranes. - Enhanced - with Solution

Cell membranes (the walled enclosure around a cell) are typically about d = 7.7 nm thick. They are partially permeable to allow
charged material to pass in and out, as needed. Equal but opposite charge densities build up on the inside and outside faces of
such a membrane, and these charges prevent additional charges from passing through the cell wall. We can model a cell
membrane as a parallel-plate capacitor, with the membrane itself containing proteins embedded in an organic material to give
the membrane a dielectric constant of about 17. (See the figure.)

You may want to review (Pages 583 - 586) .

For related problem-solving tips and strategies, you may want to view
a Video Tutor Solution of Effect of a dielectric.

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4/14/2019 Homework #05 (phy 112)

Part A
What is the capacitance per square centimeter of such a cell wall?
Express your answer using two significant figures.

ANSWER:

c = 2.0 μF/cm
2

Correct
A
Set Up: C = K C0 = K ϵ0 .A = 1.0 cm
2
= 1.0 × 10
−4
m
2
.V = Ed for a parallel plate capacitor; this
d
equation applies whether or not a dielectric is present.
−12 −4 2
(8.85×10 F/m)(1.0×10 m )
2
Solve: C = (17) −9
= 2.0μF/cm
7.70×10 m

Part B
In its normal resting state, a cell has a potential difference of 85 mV across its membrane. What is the electric field inside
this membrane?
Express your answer using two significant figures.

ANSWER:

E = 6.5×105 V/m

Correct
V 85mV 5
E= = = 6.5 × 10 V/m
−9
Kd (17)(7.70×10 m)

Reflect: The dielectric material increases the capacitance and decreases the electric field that corresponds to a
given potential difference.

Score Summary:
Your score on this assignment is 98.9%.
You received 76.16 out of a possible total of 77 points.

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