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Calculate capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor

Sunil Bhardwaj

CAPACITANCE OF CYLINDRICAL CAPACITOR

Consider a cylindrical capacitor of length L. It is constructed with two coaxial cylinders such that inner cylinder has radius a and charge +Q while outer cylinder has radius b and charge Q as shown in fig.

The electric field lines come out from positively charged cylinder and enter into negatively charged cylinder.

Now imagine a Gaussian surface in the form of a cylinder of radius r encloses the positively charged inner cylinder of capacitor. The Gaussian cylinde three surfaces.

The flux through top-capped Gaussian cylinder having area element da is ϕ1 =E.da  ϕ1 = E da cos90 ϕ1 = 0 The flux through bottom capped Gaussian cylinder having area element da is ϕ2 =E.da  ϕ2 = E da cos90 ϕ2 = 0 The flux through curved surface of Gaussian cylinder having area element da is ϕ3 =E.da  ϕ3 = E da cos0 ϕ3 = E(2πr L) Where 2πr is circumference of Gaussian cylinder and L is its length. Net flux through whole Gaussian cylinder is ϕc = ϕ1+ϕ2+ϕ3 ϕc = 0+0+E(2πr L) ϕc = E(2πr L)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)

From Gauss's law ϕc = Qε0

. . . . . . . . . . . . . (2)

Comparing eq (1) and eq (2), we get E(2πr L) = Qε0 E = Q(2πr L)ε0 The potential related to this electric field of cylindrical capacitor is V = baE ds V = baQ(2πr L)ε0 dr V = Q(2π L)ε0ba1r dr V = Q(2π L)ε0[lnr]ba V = Q(2π L)ε0(lnb lna) V = Q(2π L)ε0ln(ba) (2π L)ε0ln(ba) = QV The capacitance of a capacitor is related with voltage as C= QV Comparing eq(1) and eq(2) C= (2π L)ε0ln(ba) This is the capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor which depends upon length radius "a" of inner cylinder and radius "b" of outer cylinder.

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