The elastic capacitor and its unusual properties

Abstract

The 'elastic capacitor' (EC) model was first introduced in studies of lipid bilayers (the major components of biological membranes). This electro-elastic model accounted for the compression of a membrane under applied voltage and allowed obtaining information about the membrane's elastic properties from the measurements of its capacitance. Later on, ECs were used to analyze the electrical breakdown of biological membranes. The EC model was also helpful in studies of electric double layers in various electrified interfaces (of which the electrode/ electrolyte interface is the most common example). This comparatively simple model, which analysis requires only high-school physics, has a close relationship to some real-life problems in physics, chemistry and biology. I hope that both teachers and students will find its discussion interesting, challenging and instructive.