21 Capacitance

OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

Refer to the Physics A datasheet for data, formulae and relationships information.
1 Figure 1 shows two capacitors, A and B, connected in parallel. Figure 2 shows
the same capacitors connected in series. Each circuit includes a two-way switch,
S, which can be used to connect the capacitors to either a 12 V d.c. power supply
or to a voltmeter, V.
The capacitance of A is 4.0 F and the capacitance of B is 8.0 F.

Figure 1

Figure 2
a Calculate the total capacitance of the capacitors when connected:
i as in Figure 1

(1 mark)

ii as in Figure 2.

(2 marks)

b The switch in Figure 1 is now connected to the battery.

Calculate:
i the potential difference across capacitor A

(1 mark)

ii the total charge stored on the capacitors.

(2 marks)

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

c The switch in Figure 2 is then connected to the battery. Calculate the total
energy stored on the two capacitors.

(2 marks)

d The switch in Figure 1 is moved to connect the charged capacitors to the

voltmeter. The voltmeter has an internal resistance of 15 M.
i Explain why the capacitors will very slowly discharge.

(1 mark)

ii Calculate the time, t, taken for the voltmeter reading to fall to one eighth
of its initial reading.

(3 marks)

2 a Define the farad.

(1 mark)

b Figure 3 shows a capacitor C of capacitance 5.4 nF connected to a battery.

The switch S1 is closed and the capacitor is charged to a p.d. of 12 V.

Figure 3
The plates of the capacitor are labelled A and B.
i Explain, in terms of the movement of charged particles in the circuit, how
the plates of the capacitor become charged.

(2 marks)

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

ii Calculate:
1. the charge stored by the capacitor

(2 marks)

2. the energy transferred to the capacitor.

(1 mark)

(c) Figure 4 shows the capacitor C connected to a resistor R.

Figure 4
The switch S1 is now opened and switch S2 is closed. The current in the
resistor R is monitored.
The initial current through R is 3.24 μA.
i Show that the resistance of the resistor R is 3.7 MΩ.

(1 mark)

ii Calculate the current through Rafter a time t  0.080 s.

(2 marks)

d Explain the effect on the initial rate of discharge of the capacitor when a
second resistor of resistance 3.7 MΩ is connected in parallel with the
resistor R.

(2 marks)

OCR Physics A, January 2011

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

3 a Define capacitance.

(1 mark)

b Figure 5 shows two capacitors of capacitance 150 μF and 450 μF connected

in series with a battery of e.m.f. 6.0 V. The battery has negligible internal
resistance.

Figure 5
Calculate:
i the potential difference across the 150 F capacitor

(2 marks)

ii the charge stored by the 150 F capacitor

(1 mark)

iii the total capacitance of the circuit.

(1 mark)

c The fully charged capacitors shown in b are disconnected from the battery.
The capacitors are then connected in series with a resistor R of resistance
45 kand an open switch S as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6
The p.d. V across the capacitors is measured with a voltmeter of infinite
resistance.

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

The switch S is closed at time t  0 and measurements of V are made at

regular time intervals.
i Show that the time constant for the circuit is about 5 s.

(1 mark)

ii On Figure 7 sketch the variation of p.d. V with time t.

Figure 7
(3 marks)
OCR Physics A, June 2011, Specimen paper

4 Figure 8 shows a capacitor C in series with a resistor R, a centre-zero ammeter

A, and a two-way switch S.

Figure 8
When the switch S is in position 1, the capacitor is connected to a 12.0 V supply
and the ammeter shows the current that is charging the capacitor. To discharge
the capacitor, the switch is moved to position 2.

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

The magnitude of the current through the ammeter A during the charge or
discharge period is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9
a A student makes the following two statements about the charging and
discharging processes.
1 The variation of the magnitude of the current with time, as shown in
Figure 9, is the same in each case.
2 The needle on the centre-zero ammeter is in a different position in
each case.
Explain why both of these statements are correct.

(2 marks)

b Use data from Figure 9 to show that the value of the resistor R is 20 k.

(2 marks)

c i The time constant for the circuit is 5.0 s. By sketching suitable lines on
Figure 9, explain how this may be determined from the graph.
(2 marks)

ii Show that the capacitor C has a capacitance of 250 μF.

(2 marks)

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

iii Use the value of C to calculate the total charge stored on the capacitor.

(2 marks)

5 Figure 10 shows a circuit, consisting of two resistors, a capacitor, and two

milliameters A1 and A2, which can be connected to a 12 V supply through a
switch S. Initially, the switch S is open and the capacitor is uncharged.

Figure 10
a When the switch S is closed, explain why the initial current readings are:
i zero on A1

(2 marks)

ii 3.0 mA on A2.

(2 marks)

b After the capacitor has fully charged:

i state the readings of:
ammeter A1

(1 mark)

ammeter A2

(1 mark)

ii explain why the voltage across the capacitor is 4.0 V

(2 marks)

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

iii calculate the charge Q stored on the capacitor.

(2 marks)

c The switch S is now opened

i State the initial reading of ammeters A1 and A2.

(1 mark)

ii Calculate the value of the time constant for the decay of charge on the
capacitor.

(1 mark)

iii Plot a graph on the axes of Figure 11to show the reading of ammeter A2
from t  0, when the switch S is opened, to t  1.5 s. Label the y-axis with
a suitable scale.

Figure 11
(3 marks)

OCR Physics A, June 2009

6 a A 2.0 F capacitor is charged through a resistor from a battery of e.m.f. 6.0 V.

i Sketch a graph on the axes of Figure 12 to show how the charge stored,
Q, varies with the potential difference, V, across the capacitor during the
charging process. Mark appropriate values on the axes of the graph.

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

Figure 12
(2 marks)

ii Calculate the energy stored by the capacitor when the potential difference
across it is 2.5 V.

(2 marks)

b Two circuits are set up as shown in Figure 13. The boxes A and B conceal
an arrangement of two identical capacitors. The circuits are identical in every
way apart from the boxes A and B.

Figure 13

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 21 Capacitance
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

The switches S1 are closed for a few minutes and then opened. The switches
S2 are then closed and the bulbs immediately light up. After a short time the
bulb connected to box A ceases to glow whilst the bulb connected to B
continues for several seconds longer.
i State how the capacitors are connected in each box.

(1 mark)

ii Explain your answer in terms of the electrical energy stored by the

capacitors in each box.

(4 marks)

c A large value resistor is now connected between the lamp and S2 in each
circuit in Figure 13. The operations detailed in b are then repeated.
State and explain what would now be observed.

(2 marks)

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