A parallel-plate capacitor is made of two conducting plates of area A separated by a distance d. The capacitor carries a charge Q and is initially connected to a battery that maintains a constant potential difference between the plates. The battery is then disconnected from the plates and the separation between the plates is doubled. 1) Which of the following remains constant? Oa. Voltage across the capacitor b. Capacitance of the capacitor c. Charge on the capacitor

C. Charge on the capacitor

Explanation:

Read further: Capacitors consist of two parallel conductive

plates (usually a metal) which are prevented

from touching each other (separated) by an

insulating material called the "dielectric". When

a voltage is applied to these plates an

electrical current flows charging up one plate

with a positive charge with respect to the

supply voltage and the other plate with an

equal and opposite negative charge.

Then, a capacitor has the ability of being able

to store an electrical charge Q (units in

Coulombs) of electrons. When a capacitor is

fully charged there is a potential difference,

p. d. between its plates, and the larger the area

of the plates and/or the smaller the distance

between them (known as separation) the

greater will be the charge that the capacitor

can hold and the greater will be its

Capacitance.

The capacitors ability to store this electrical

charge (Q) between its plates is proportional

to the applied voltage, V for a capacitor of

known capacitance in Farads.