[Physics] Force between the plates of a capacitor

capacitanceelectric-fieldselectrostaticsgauss-law

As we know that the electric field between two parallel plates of a capacitor is $$E=\frac{\sigma}{\epsilon_0}$$, so the magnitude of force exerted by one plate on the other should have been $$F=QE$$. But in reality it is$$F=\frac{QE}{2}$$. How is that possible? Where have i mistaken?

Also, I would like to refer to an answer by David Z to this question:

  • The more realistic explanation is that essentially all of the charge on each plate migrates to the inside surface. This charge, of area density $\sigma$, is producing an electric field in only one direction, which will accordingly have strength $\frac{\sigma}{\epsilon_0}$. But when using this explanation, you do not also superpose the electric field produced by charge on the inside surface of the other plate. Those other charges are the terminators for the same electric field lines produced by the charges on this plate; they're not producing a separate contribution to the electric field of their own.

    electric field from one plate to the other

So if they're not producing a separate contribution to the electric field of their own, then why do we consider individual fields of the plates while calculating force exerted by each plate?

Best Answer

Suppose the surface charge densities on the bottom plate is $\sigma$ and on the top plate $-\sigma$, then the electric field due to the bottom plate is $\frac{\sigma}{2 \epsilon_0}{\bf n}$ and that due to the top plate $-\frac{\sigma}{2 \epsilon_0}{\bf n}$, where ${\bf n}$ is a unit vector pointing from the bottom plate to the top plate. This gives the total electric field between the plates as $(\frac{\sigma}{2\epsilon_0} + \frac{\sigma}{2\epsilon_0}){\bf n} = \frac{\sigma}{\epsilon_0} {\bf n}$, which is the electric field ${\bf E}$ as expected (the fields are acting in opposite directions).

The charge on the top plate only exerts a force on the charge on the bottom plate (and vice versa) and doesn't exert a charge on itself. This gives the force acting between the two plates as just $Q \times \frac{\sigma}{2 \epsilon_0} = Q\times \frac{{\bf E}}{2}$ where $Q$ is the charge on either plate.