If a capacitor is charged to a voltage V and then short-circuited, what happens to the energy stored in the capacitor?
Correct Answer: Energy is dissipated as heat.
- Step 1: Understand that a capacitor stores electrical energy when it is charged to a voltage V.
- Step 2: Recognize that short-circuiting means connecting the two terminals of the capacitor directly with a wire.
- Step 3: When the capacitor is short-circuited, the stored energy starts to flow through the wire.
- Step 4: This flow of energy causes a current to pass through the circuit.
- Step 5: As the current flows, the energy is converted into heat due to the resistance in the wire and components.
- Step 6: Eventually, all the stored energy is dissipated as heat, and the capacitor is left with no energy.
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