A capacitor is attached across a battery and charged.Then the battery is removed leaving the capacitor charged.The positive lead of the capacitor is then connected to one lead of a previously uncharged identical capacitor,and then the other lead of the charged capacitor is connected to the other lead of the second capacitor.How does the energy E_o stored in the originally charged capacitor compare to the energy E_f stored in the connected capacitors? A)E_o

Question

A capacitor is attached across a battery and charged.Then the battery is removed leaving the capacitor charged.The positive lead of the capacitor is then connected to one lead of a previously uncharged identical capacitor,and then the other lead of the charged capacitor is connected to the other lead of the second capacitor.How does the energy E_o stored in the originally charged capacitor compare to the energy E_f stored in the connected capacitors? A)E_o < E_f B)E_o = E_f C)E_o = 2E_f D)E_o = 4E_f

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the charged capacitor is connected to the uncharged capacitor, the charge is shared between the two capacitors. The total charge remains the same, but the energy is distributed between the two capacitors. Due to the redistribution of charge, the final energy stored in the system is half of the initial energy, hence E_o = 2E_f.

A Capacitor Is Attached Across a Battery and Charged