The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is increased by
Correct answer: C. increasing the plate area and inserting a dielectric
- A. increasing the plate separation
- B. decreasing the plate area
- C. increasing the plate area and inserting a dielectric
- D. increasing the applied voltage
Explanation
Capacitance is proportional to the area and to the relative permittivity of the dielectric, and inversely proportional to the separation, so larger closer plates with a dielectric between them store more charge per volt. Applied voltage does not appear in the expression at all, which is the trap in the last option. A dielectric also allows a higher working voltage before breakdown.
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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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