Question 25.43: Given a 7.4 pF air-filled capacitor, you are asked to conver......

Given a 7.4 pF air-filled capacitor, you are asked to convert it to a capacitor that can store up to 7.4 μJ with a maximum potential difference of 652 V. Which dielectric in Table 25-1 should you use to fill the gap in the capacitor if you do not allow for a margin of error?

Table 25-1 Some Properties of Dielectrics^a
Material Dielectric Constant \kappa Dielectric Strength (kV/mm)
Air (1 atm) 1.00054 3
Polystyrene 2.6 24
Paper 3.5 16
Transformer oil 4.5
Pyrex 4.7 14
Ruby mica 5.4
Porcelain 6.5
Silicon 12
Germanium 16
Ethanol 25
Water (20°C) 80.4
Water (25°C) 78.5
 Titania ceramic 130
Strontium titanate 310 8
For a vacuum, \kappa  = unity.
^aMeasured at room temperature, except for the water.
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The capacitance with the dielectric in place is given by C=\kappa C_0 , where C_0 is the capacitance before the dielectric is inserted. The energy stored is given by U=\frac{1}{2} C V^2=\frac{1}{2} \kappa C_0 V^2 , so

\kappa=\frac{2 U}{C_0 V^2}=\frac{2\left(7.4 \times 10^{-6} \,J \right)}{\left(7.4 \times 10^{-12} \,F \right)(652 \,V )^2}=4.7 .

According to Table 25-1, you should use Pyrex.

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