Parallel-Plate Capacitor

This interactive simulator explores Parallel-Plate Capacitor in Electricity & Magnetism. C = ε₀εᵣA/d, E = V/d, Q and energy; plates and C vs d. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Electricity & Magnetism.

Key terms

  • parallel
  • plate
  • capacitor
  • parallel plate capacitor
  • electricity
  • magnetism

Live graphs

How it works

Two conducting plates with uniform opposite charge and a dielectric between them form a capacitor. For an ideal parallel-plate model (ignore edge fringing), capacitance scales as C ∝ εᵣA/d, the field in the gap is E = V/d, and stored energy is U = ½CV² = ½QV.

Key equations

C = ε₀ εᵣ A / d
Q = C V , E = V / d , U = ½ C V²