A capacitor is charged to a potential of 12V and then disconnected from the battery. If the distance between the plates is doubled, what is the new potential difference? (2022)
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
A capacitor is charged to a potential of 12V and then disconnected from the battery. If the distance between the plates is doubled, what is the new potential difference? (2022)
6V
12V
24V
0V
When the distance is doubled, the potential difference across the capacitor also doubles, resulting in 24V.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: A capacitor is charged to a potential of 12V and then disconnected from the battery. If the distance between the plates is doubled, what is the new potential difference? (2022)
Solution: When the distance is doubled, the potential difference across the capacitor also doubles, resulting in 24V.
Steps: 7
Step 1: Understand that a capacitor stores electrical energy and has a certain potential difference (voltage) across its plates.
Step 2: Note that the initial potential difference across the capacitor is 12V.
Step 3: Recognize that when the capacitor is disconnected from the battery, the charge on the plates remains constant.
Step 4: Understand that the potential difference (V) across a capacitor is related to the distance (d) between the plates and the capacitance (C) by the formula V = Q/C, where Q is the charge.
Step 5: When the distance between the plates is doubled, the capacitance decreases because capacitance is inversely proportional to the distance between the plates.
Step 6: Since the charge (Q) remains constant and the capacitance (C) decreases, the potential difference (V) must increase to maintain the relationship Q = C * V.
Step 7: Conclude that if the distance is doubled, the potential difference also doubles, resulting in a new potential difference of 24V.
