Asked in MDCAT Test Series — Electrostatics, Work and EnergyModerate

If the value of electric field intensity between the plates increases two times, then energy stored in a capacitor becomes:

Correct answer: B. Quadruple

  • A. Double
  • B. Quadruple
  • C. Half
  • D. One Fourth

Explanation

The energy stored in a capacitor is given by the formula:U = (1/2) * C * V²Where:U is the energy storedC is the capacitanceV is the voltage across the capacitorThe electric field intensity (E) between the plates of a capacitor is related to the voltage (V) and the distance (d) between the plates by the equation:E = V/dTherefore, V = E * dSubstituting this into the energy equation:U = (1/2) * C * (E * d)²U = (1/2) * C * E² * d²If the electric field intensity (E) increases two times (becomes 2E), the new energy stored (U') will be:U' = (1/2) * C * (2E)² * d²U' = (1/2) * C * 4E² * d²U' = 4 * (1/2) * C * E² * d²U' = 4UTherefore, if the value of the electric field intensity between the plates increases two times, the energy stored in the capacitor becomes four times the original energy.

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About Capacitors

Capacitors store electric charge and energy in an electric field between conductors. Work includes capacitance, the relation Q = CV, dielectric materials, charging and discharging, energy formulas, and combinations of capacitors in series and parallel. Electric potential difference is needed to understand why charge and stored energy change.

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