A capacitor consists of a set of two parallel plates of area A separated by a distance d. This capacitor is connected to a battery that maintains a constant potential difference between the plates. If the separation between the plates is doubled, the magnitude of the electrical energy stored on the capacitor will

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy stored in a capacitor is given by U = (1/2) CV^2, where C is the capacitance and V is the potential difference across the plates. As the potential difference is maintained constant by the battery, doubling the separation between the plates reduces the capacitance by a factor of 2, and hence the energy stored in the capacitor is also cut in half (since energy is proportional to the capacitance). Therefore, the correct answer is C) be cut in half.

A Capacitor Consists of a Set of Two Parallel Plates