View source for Using Capacitors to Measure Fluid Level

Measuring the level of a fluid is useful for a variety of applications, and the technology for the techniques employed in the acquisition of this measurement has progressed far beyond the use of sight glasses and mechanical floats. In fact, a widely used method to measure the amount of fuel in a gas tank is with a device that floats on top of the fuel combined with a sensor, the fuel gauge sending unit, that translates the angle of the float to the amount of fluid in the tank. With this method, the gauge tends to change position with the angle of the car as well as the angle of the float relative to the fluid, so a lot of the time the gauge position can be misleading. A more modern technique of measuring fluid level involves [[capacitors]], and this article will detail the concepts and mathematics behind the relationship with fluid height.


==Conceptual Background==
=== Capacitors ===
<small>For more details, see [[capacitor]].</small>

[[File:parallelPlateCapacitor.png|thumb|A parallel plate capacitor with conductive plates of area <math>A</math> separated by a dielectric with a gap distance of <math>d</math>.]]
A capacitor consists of two conductors, e.g. conducting plates, separated by some kind of insulator. The insulator--a dielectric--within the gap between the two conductors can be air, plastic, glass, etc. Additionally, the conductors have to be connected to some sort of power supply in order to acquire a buildup of charge on the surface of the conductors.

===A Mathematical Model===

What are the mathematical equations that allow us to model this topic.  For example <math>{\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net}</math> where '''p''' is the momentum of the system and '''F''' is the net force from the surroundings.

===A Computational Model===

How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here [https://trinket.io/glowscript/31d0f9ad9e Teach hands-on with GlowScript]

==Examples==

Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible

===Simple===
===Middling===
===Difficult===

==Connectedness==
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==History==

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== See also ==

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===Further reading===

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===External links===
[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-reaction-time/]


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