Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 2
ELECTROSTATICS
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ELECTROSTATICS
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Subject: Physics
Class: SHS 2
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 3
Grade code: 2.3.1.LI.2
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 2.3.1.CS.2
Indicator code: 2.3.1.LI.2
Theme: ELECTRIC FIELD, MAGNETIC FIELD AND ELECTRONICS
Subtheme: ELECTROSTATICS
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This lesson focuses on how to combine capacitors, which are essential components in many electronic devices we use every day. Think about the flash on your phone camera, the power bank you use to charge it, or the ceiling fan that cools your room. All these devices use capacitors to store and release electrical energy quickly. In Ghana, where we sometimes experience power fluctuations ("dumsor"), devices like Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) rely heavily on capacitors to provide a smooth transition to battery power. Today, we will learn the two basic ways to connect capacitors in a circuit: in series and in parallel.
A. What is a Capacitor?
A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It's like a small, very fast, rechargeable battery. Function: It can charge up (store energy) and discharge (release energy) very quickly. Capacitance (C): This is the measure of a capacitor's ability to store charge. It is the ratio of the charge (Q) stored on one plate to the potential difference (V) across the plates. Formula: `C = Q / V` Unit: The unit of capacitance is the Farad (F). One Farad is a very large unit, so in practice, we often use smaller sub-units: microfarad (μF) = 10⁻⁶ F nanofarad (nF) = 10⁻⁹ F picofarad (pF) = 10⁻¹² F Circuit Symbols: Capacitor: Two parallel lines of equal length: `—| |—` Battery/DC Source: One long line (positive terminal) and one short line (negative terminal): `—|i—` B. Capacitors in Series
When capacitors are connected in series, they are connected end-to-end, providing only one path for the charge to flow.
Circuit Diagram: ``` C₁ C₂ C₃ ---||---*----||---*----||--- | | +--- V_T --- | |____-____| | ```