Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Solve the following question.
A parallel plate capacitor is charged by a battery to a potential difference V. It is disconnected from the battery and then connected to another uncharged capacitor of the same capacitance. Calculate the ratio of the energy stored in the combination to the initial energy on the single capacitor.
Advertisements
Solution

`E_f = 1/2 ((CV)/2)^2/C + 1/2 ((CV)/2)^2/C`
= `(C^2V^2)/(4C)`
`E_f = 1/4 CV^2`
`E_f/E_i = (1/4 CV^2)/(1/2 CV^2) = 1/2`
RELATED QUESTIONS
Explain briefly the process of charging a parallel plate capacitor when it is connected across a d.c. battery
The plates of a parallel plate capacitor have an area of 90 cm2 each and are separated by 2.5 mm. The capacitor is charged by connecting it to a 400 V supply.
(a) How much electrostatic energy is stored by the capacitor?
(b) View this energy as stored in the electrostatic field between the plates, and obtain the energy per unit volume u. Hence arrive at a relation between u and the magnitude of electric field E between the plates.
A slab of material of dielectric constant K has the same area as the plates of a parallel plate capacitor but has a thickness \[\frac{3d}{4}\]. Find the ratio of the capacitance with dielectric inside it to its capacitance without the dielectric.
A slab of material of dielectric constant K has the same area as that of the plates of a parallel plate capacitor but has the thickness d/2, where d is the separation between the plates. Find out the expression for its capacitance when the slab is inserted between the plates of the capacitor.
A slab of material of dielectric constant K has the same area as that of the plates of a parallel plate capacitor but has the thickness d/3, where d is the separation between the plates. Find out the expression for its capacitance when the slab is inserted between the plates of the capacitor.
A slab of material of dielectric constant K has the same area as that of the plates of a parallel plate capacitor but has the thickness 2d/3, where d is the separation between the plates. Find out the expression for its capacitance when the slab is inserted between the plates of the capacitor.
A parallel-plate capacitor with plate area 20 cm2 and plate separation 1.0 mm is connected to a battery. The resistance of the circuit is 10 kΩ. Find the time constant of the circuit.
A parallel-plate capacitor is filled with a dielectric material of resistivity ρ and dielectric constant K. The capacitor is charged and disconnected from the charging source. The capacitor is slowly discharged through the dielectric. Show that the time constant of the discharge is independent of all geometrical parameters like the plate area or separation between the plates. Find this time constant.
A parallel plate air condenser has a capacity of 20µF. What will be a new capacity if:
1) the distance between the two plates is doubled?
2) a marble slab of dielectric constant 8 is introduced between the two plates?
Two identical capacitors are joined in parallel, charged to a potential V, separated and then connected in series, the positive plate of one is connected to the negative of the other. Which of the following is true?
