Comparing Measured Values from a Fixed Parallel Plate Capacitor Instrument and Theoretical Values for Capacitors in Parallel

Quinn Brodsky (The Hockaday School), Garrett Gu (Texas Academy of Math and Science), Danita Mathew (Garland High School), Aaron McAnalley (Harmony Science Academy Euless), Swati Ravi (Greenhill School), Dylan Robertson (Plano Senior High School), Aniya Showers (Garland High School), Vijay Vuyyuru (Plano East Senior High School)

John Thompson Science Department, Plano East Senior High School 3000 Los Rios Blvd, Plano, TX 75074

Jingbo Ye Physics Department, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275 USA 

An experimental setup involving a fixed parallel-plate capacitor that can be submerged in fluids is used to determine capacitance with oil and air as adjacent dielectrics, showing the equivalence of adjoining dielectrics and capacitors in parallel. The results of the experiment confirm this equivalence, while this capacitor provides possible applications in a high school or undergraduate classroom to equip students with a basic understanding of single and multiple capacitor properties.