NCERT Chapter Summary: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

NCERT Chapter Summary: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

Electrostatic force is a conservative force. Work done by an external force (equal and opposite to the electrostatic force) in bringing a charge q from a point R to a point P is q(VP - VR), which is the difference in potential energy of charge q between the final and initial points.

Potential at a point is the work done per unit charge (by an external agency) in bringing a charge from infinity to that point. Potential at a point is arbitrary to within an additive constant, since it is the potential difference between two points which is physically significant.

An equipotential surface is a surface over which potential has a constant value. For a point charge, concentric spheres centred at a location of the charge are equipotential surfaces. The electric field E at a point is perpendicular to the equipotential surface through the point. E is in the direction of the steepest decrease of potential.

Potential energy stored in a system of charges is the work done (by an external agency) in assembling the charges at their locations.

capacitor is a system of two conductors separated by an insulator. Its capacitance is defined by C = Q/V, where Q and -Q are the charges on the two conductors and V is the potential difference between them. C is determined purely geometrically, by the shapes, sizes and relative positions of the two conductors. The unit of capacitance is farad.

If the medium between the plates of a capacitor is filled with an insulating substance (dielectric), the electric field due to the charged plates induces a net dipole moment in the dielectric. This effect, called polarisation, gives rise to a field in the opposite direction. The net electric field inside the dielectric and hence the potential difference between the plates is thus reduced. Consequently, the capacitance C increases from its value C0 when there is no medium (vacuum),