Enlightening Visualization of Charge on Capacitors and Capacitor Circuits

Abstract

The ideal parallel plate capacitor in general physics textbooks lacks electrostatic perspectives regarding how conducting surfaces are charged. The current textbooks somewhat neglect close connections between capacitors and electrostatics, leaving students in limbo when analyzing charge distribution on capacitors in circuits. This paper will suggest a new generalized model of the ideal capacitor and offer learners, mainly from the electrostatic perspective, a better train of thought in analyzing how charges are distributed on various surfaces in capacitor circuits. This paper offers a relatively complete review and framework of the ideal capacitor and can serve as supplementary reading material for general physics learners and instructors for in-depth explanations of fundamental topics unavailable in the current textbooks.