A parallel plate capacitor with plate separation of 4.0 cm has a plate area of 4.0 × 10^-2 m². What is the capacitance of this capacitor with air between these plates?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with plate area A and separation d is given by C = εA/d, where ε is the permittivity of the medium between the plates. In the case of air, ε ≈ 8.85 x 10^-12 F/m. Substituting the values given in the problem, we have C = (8.85 x 10^-12 F/m)(4.0 x 10^-2 m^2)/(4.0 x 10^-2 m) = 8.9 x 10^-12 F = 8.9 x 10^-12 F or 0.089 pF. Therefore, the best choice is B.

A Parallel Plate Capacitor with Plate Separation of 4