If the area of the plates of a parallel plate capacitor is halved and the separation between the plates tripled, then by what factor does the capacitance change?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is given by the formula C = εA/d, where ε is the permittivity of the medium between the plates, A is the area of the plates, and d is the distance between the plates. If the area of the plates is halved and the distance between them is tripled, then the new capacitance becomes C' = ε(A/2)/(3d). Simplifying this expression, we get C' = (1/6)C. Therefore, the capacitance decreases by a factor of 1/6.

If the Area of the Plates of a Parallel Plate