CLASS-12-CAPACITANCE

Q.1Aparallelplateairfilledcapacitorshownin hasacapacitanceof 2μF.

When it is half filled with a dielectric of dielectric constant k= 3 , its
capacitance becomes
A. 1.5 μF
B. 4μF
C. 3μF
D. 0.5 μF
Answer B
Solution:
the capacitance of the first capacitor C=ε0A/d=2μF
The second capacitor is considered to be made of two capacitors C1 ( air
filled) and C2( dielectric) connected in parallel.

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Q.2A parallel plate capacitor of plate area A has a charge Q. The force on
each plate of the capacitor is
A. zero
B. 2q2ϵo/A
C. q2ϵo/A
D. q2/2ϵA
Answer D
Solution:
Force between two plates of the capacitor F=qE
The electric field E=σ/2ε0 and the charge density σ=q/A

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Q.3AcapacitorofcapacitanceCisfullychargedbya200V supply.It is then
discharged through a small coil of resistance wire embedded in a thermally
insulated block of specific heat 2.5×102Jkg−1K−1and of mass 0.1 kg. If the
temperature of the block rises by 0.4 K, what is the value of C?
A. 400μF
B. 500μF
C. 200μF
D. 300μF
Answer B
Solution:
Energy stored in the capacitor U=1/2CV2=1/2(200)2C=2×104C J
This is released as heat when the capacitor discharges through the metal
block. The quantity of heat = mass ×s p heat× rise in temperature.

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Q.4The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is 5 μF. When a glass slab of
thickness equal to the separation between the plates is introduced
between the plates, the potential difference reduces to 1/8 of the
original value. The dielectric constant of glass is
A. 8
B. 1.6
C. 5
D. 40
Answer A
Solution:
Whena dielectric of constantK is introduced betweentheplates of a
capacitor, the potential V reduces to V/K. Therefore K=8

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Q5The dielectric constant K of an insulator can be
A. -4
B. 0.4
C. 0
D. 4
Answer D
Solution:
Dielectric constant of air is 1. All dielectrics generally have a value of the
dielectric constant greater than1.K=F/Fm where Fm is the force between
two chargedparticlesinamediumofdielectric constantK and F is the force
between the two charges when placed in air.The force between two
charges is greatest in air or vacuum and it decreases when any medium
is placed between the charges. K cannot have negative, fractional or zero
values.

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Q.6If the charge on a capacitor is increased by 2 coulomb, the energy
stored in it increases by 21%. The original charge on the capacitor (in
coulomb) is
A. 40
B. 20
C. 10
D. 30
Answer B
Solution:
The initial energy of the capacitor of capacitance C and charge Q1 is
U1=Q2/2C.When the charge increases to Q2 the energy of the
capacitor U2−U1
U1=Q12/2C−Q22/2C
Given percentage increase of energy
U2−U1=0.21U1
But Q2−Q1=2;
Q2=1.1Q1
Solving Q1=20C

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Q.7A parallel plate capacitor of capacity 100μF is charged by a
battery of 50 volts. The battery remains connected and if the plates of
the capacitor are brought closer so that the distance between them
becomes half the original distance, the additional energy given by the
battery to the capacitor in joules is:
A. 1.25×10−3
B. 12.5×10−3
C. 125×10−3
D. 0.125×10−3
Answer C
Solution:
Initial energy of the capacitor
Ui=1/2CV2=1/2×100×10−6×(50)2=0.125J. When the plates are kept at half the
original distance, the new capacitance
Final energy Uf=1/2C’V2 =1/2(2C)V2
Increase in energy = additional energy given by the battery

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Q.8 4 water drops having equal charges combine to form one bigger drop.
The capacitance of the bigger drop, as compared to that of smaller drop
will be
A. 8 times
B. 16 times
C. 64 times
D. 4times
Answer D
Solution:
Capacitance of the small drop of radius r
Cs=4πε0rand that of the big drop of radius R is CB=4πε0R The
volume of 64 small drops = volume of 1 big
drop4/3πR3=64×4/3πr3 R=4r
The ratio CB/Cs=4πε0R/4πε0r=R/r=4 CB=4Cs

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Q.9The capacity of a pure capacitor is 1 farad. In DC circuit its
effective resistance will be
A. zero
B. 1 Ω
C. 1/2r
D. infinite
Answer D
Solution:
Capacitor does not allow DC to pass through it. The effective
capacitance or the capacitive reactance XC=1/Cω, where ω is the
frequency of voltage source. Since DC current is a constant current, its
frequency is zero. The capacitive reactance is therefore infinity.

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Q.10To make a condenser of 16μF, 1000 volts, how many condensers are
needed which have written on them 8μF, 250 volts”?
A. 8.0
B. 2.0
C. 40.0
D. 32.0
Answer D
Solution:
Each capacitor of capacitance 8μFcan withstand a maximum
potential of 250 V.
When equal capacitors are connected in series, the potential
differenceacrossthem is equal. If therearem capacitorsin series such
that the potential across each is 250 V, then,1000m=250;m=4. The
equivalent capacitance of 4 capacitors connected in series is
CS=C/m=8/4=2μF.To achieve a capacitance of 16 , n such rows of
capacitors need to be connected in parallel. Ceq=nCS=16μF;
n=16/CS=16/2=8.
To make a condenser of 16μF,8 rows of capacitors with each row
containing 4 capacitors are to be connected. The total number of
capacitors= n×m=4×8=32.

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Q.11The plates of a parallel plate capacitor are 10 cm apart and have area
equal to 2m2. If the charge on each plate is 8.85×10−10C, the electric field
at a point
A. outside the plates will be zero
B. between the plates will change from point to point
C. between the plates will be 25NC−1
D. between the plates will be zero
Answer A
Solution:
The electric field outside two large plates with opposite charge densities
will bezero.
Theelectric fieldbetweentheplatesofthecapacitor
and it is a constant electric field.

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Q.12A parallel combination of 0.1 MΩ resistor and a 10μF capacitor is
connected across a 1.5 V source of negligible resistance. The time (in
seconds) required for the capacitor to get charged up to 0.75 V is
approximately
A. zero
B. log102
C. loge2
D. ∞
Answer A
Solution:
A capacitor is charged when the resistance is connected in series with the
capacitor. Q=Q0(1−e−t/τ) The time constant of the circuit τ=R/C=0
∵ R=0. The capacitor will not be charged.

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Q.13For a parallel plate capacitor and a dielectric of dielectric
constant K When a dielectric material is inserted between the plates
while thepotential difference betweentheplates
decreases by a factor K
A. the charge isdecreased,
B. the charge is kept constant,
C. the charge is increased,
D. the charge is increased,
Answer B
Solution:
When a dielectric material is introduced in between the plates of a
charged capacitor, which is disconnected from the battery, the charge
remains constant, while the potential decreases by a factor K. The charge on
the plates will increase if the dielectric material is slipped in between the
plates of a capacitor which remain connected to the battery. In this case,
the potential across the plates of the capacitor remains constant being
equal to the battery voltage.

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Q.14A parallel plate condenser is immersed in an oil of dielectric
constant 2. The field between the plates is
A. increased proportional to 2
B. increased proportional to √2
C. decreased proportional to 1/2
D. decreased proportional to1/√2
Answer C
Solution:
In the presence of a dielectric with K=2, the electric field Em
=E/K= E/2, The force also reduces by 1/2

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Q.15The action of the dielectric to increase the capacitance is due to
A. neutralization of charges
B. dipole orienting parallel to the plates.
C. movement of charges to the sides of dielectric
D. electric polarization
Answer D
Solution:
When a dielectric is placed between the plates of a capacitor, electric
polarization results in a reverse electric field inside the dielectric.

The net electric field reduces and therefore the potential reduces.
Since C=Q/V
the capacitance increases because the potential reduces.The charges in a
dielectric are incapable of moving since all dielectrics are essentially
insulators. The molecules of the dielectric acquire an induced dipole
moment in the direction of the applied field, due to rearrangement of
their electron clouds.The charges in the dielectric and those on the
capacitor plates are not equal in magnitude. They are not neutralized.
The dipoles in the dielectric are oriented perpendicular to the plates as
the electric field is perpendicular to the plates.

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Q.16The electric field between the plates of a fully charged capacitor is E. If
a material of dielectric constant k is introduced between the plates, the
electric field at a point between the plates
A. decreases
B. increases
C. becomes E/k
D. remains unchanged
Answer C
Solution:
The capacitance C of a capacitor becomes KC when a dielectric is
introduced. C=ε0A/d=Q/V
Cd=Kε0A/d=KC=KQ/V
A fully charged capacitor is the capacitor which is charged and then
disconnected from the battery. The charge therefore remains
constant, Cd=KQ/V
The potential reduces toV/K.The electric field therefore becomes E/K

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 Q.17A parallel plate capacitor of capacitance C is connected to a battery
and is charged to a potential difference V. Another capacitor of
capacitance 2C is similarly charged to a potential difference 2V. The
charging battery is then disconnected and the capacitors are connected
in parallel to each other in such a way that the positive terminal of one is
connected to the negative terminal of the other.
The final energy of the configuration is
A. zero
B. 9/2CV2
C. 25/6CV2
D. 3/2CV2
Answer D
Solution:

The charges Q1 and Q2 on the two capacitors

Q1=CV;Q2=(2C)(2V)=4CV.The capacitors are connected in parallel in such a
way that the positive plate of one is connected to the negative plate of the
other.
The common potential V=Q2−Q1/[C+2C]=4CV−CV/3C=V
.The final energy Uf=3/2 CV2.

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Q18If one penetrates a uniformly charged metallic sphere, the electric
field strengthE
A. Decreases
B. remains the same as at the surface
C. increases
D. is zero at all points
Answer A
Solution:
Electric field due to asolid sphereof uniformchargedensity atpoints
inside the sphere varies as E=Kqr/R3 for r<R.
It decreases .However if the sphere were a hollow shell, the electric field
would be zero at all points where r < R

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Q.19A variable capacitor and an electroscope are connected in
parallel to a battery. The reading of the electroscope would be
decreased by
A. Increasing the area of overlapping of the plates
B. Decreasing the distance between the plates
C. Decreasing the battery potential
D. Placing a dielectric between the plates
Answer C
Solution:
An electroscope is a device which measures the potential difference. If it is
connected in parallel to the capacitor, the potential across it will be
equal to the potential across the capacitor, which is equal to the potential
across the battery. On decreasing the battery potential, the potential
difference across the electroscope reduces and hence the reading reduces.
While the capacitor is connected to the battery, Placinga dielectric
between the plates, or decreasing the distance between the plates or
increasing the area of the plates will not change the potential
difference across it; since it will always remain equal to the potential
difference maintained by the battery. In the cases B, C and D, The
capacitance of the capacitor , however increases ; but this increase
happens due to increase in the charge stored in the capacitor while the
potential remains constant.

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 Q.20An electrolytic capacitor is marked 8μF, 220 V. It can be used in a circuit
where the p.d. across the capacitor may be
A. 500 V
B. 300 V
C. 1000 V
D. 200 V

Answer D
Solution:
Voltage across capacitor should be less than breakdown voltage

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Q.21When a capacitor is connected to a battery
A. an alternating current flows in the circuit.
B. a current flows in the circuit for sometime and then decreases to zero
C. no current flows in the circuit at all
D. the current keeps on increasing, reaching a maximum value when the
Answer B
Solution:
When an uncharged capacitor is connected to a battery, charges flow from
the poles of the battery to the plates of the capacitor and this process
continues till the potential across the capacitor attains the potential
difference of the battery. The current flows in the circuit till the time the
capacitor is charged and then it ceases.

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Q.22The effective capacitance of two capacitors of capacitances C1 and C2
(with C2 > C1) connected in parallel is 25/6 times the effective capacitance
when they are connected in series. The ratio C2/C1 is
A. 4/3
B. 25/6
C. 5/3
D. 3/2
Answer D
Solution:
Given Cp/Cs=25/6, then Cp=25k;Cs=6kwhere k is a constant.
Solving , C2=15k;C1=10k;and C2/C1=3/2

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Q23.A parallel plate air capacitor is connected to a battery. The quantities
charge, voltage, electric field, and energy associated with this capacitor
are given by Q0, V0, E0 and U0 respectively. A dielectric slab is now
introduced to fill the space between the plates with battery still in
connection. The corresponding quantities are now given by Q, V, E and U
are related to previous quantities as
A. Q> Q0

B. V= V0

C. E>E0

D. U> U0

Answer
A,B and D

Solution:
The potential difference between the plates remains unchanged after the
introduction of dielectric because capacitor remains connected to the
battery. Introduction of dielectric increases the capacitance C and
hence charge stored in the capacitor also increases since Q=CV thus
Q>Q0. Since plate distance and V remains unchanged this implies
Electric field E=V/d also remains unchanged. Energy stored in the
capacitor increases as it depends on the capacitance C of the capacitor
since U=CV2/2. Thus U>U0.

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Q24.Two identical conducting plates of plate area A are separated by a
distance d to form a parallel plate air capacitor. Now a metal sheet of
thickness d/2 is inserted between the plates of the capacitor. The ratio
of capacitance before the insertion of plate and after the insertion of
plate is
A.1:2
B.1:1
C.1:2
D.√2:1
Answer A
Solution:

Now capacitance of capacitor before inserting metal plate is C = (ε0A)/d

And after the insertion of any dielectric plate filling the capacitor
partially is
C = (ε0A)/[(d-t)+t/K]
We know that K for a metal is infinite thus C
= (ε0A)/(d-t)
t=d/2thus
C’=(2ε0A)/d=2C
C:C’=1:2

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Q25A parallel plate capacitor of capacitance C is connected to a battery
and is charged to a potential difference V. Another capacitor of
capacitance 2C is connected to another battery and is charged to
potential difference 2V. The charging batteries are now disconnected and
the capacitors are connected in parallel to each other in such a way that
the positive terminal of one is connected to the negative terminal of the
other. The final energy of the configuration is
(a) 3CV2/2
(b) 25CV2/2
(c) 9CV2/2
(d) Zero
Answer
A
Solution
Total charge =(2C) (2V) + (C)(−V) =3CV
Common potential =3CV/3C=V
Energy =1/2(3C)(V)2=3CV2/2
Hence (a) is the correct option

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