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Capacitance Practice Problems

1. A charge near the (-) plate is let go and moves as shown
(a) is it an electron or a proton?
(b) How much energy has it lost when it reaches the hole?
(c) How fast is it going when it reaches the hole?
(d) What is the strength of the electric field in this situation?

2. A capacitor of 0.75 F is charged to a voltage of 16 V. What is the magnitude of the charge on

each plate of the capacitor?

3. A parallel-plate capacitor is constructed with plates of area

and separation
0.550mm. Find the magnitude of the charge on each plate of this capacitor when the potential
difference between the plates is 20.1 V.

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2002B5B. Two parallel conducting plates, each of area 0.30 m , are separated by a distance of 2.0 x 10 m of air.
One plate has charge +Q; the other has charge -Q. An electric field of 5000 N/C is directed to the left in the space
between the plates, as shown in the diagram above.

(a) Indicate on the diagram which plate is positive (+) and which is negative (-).
(b) Determine the potential difference between the plates.

(c) Determine the capacitance of this arrangement of plates.

(d) Determine the magnitude of the electrostatic force on the electron at this location and state its direction.

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5. Two plates separated by 0.02 m need a charge on them of 9*10 C when a potential difference of 15 V is applied,
what area plates should be used?

6. A parallel-plate capacitor has a capacitance C0. A second parallel-plate capacitor has plates with twice the area
and twice the separation. What is the capacitance of the second capacitor compared to the first?

Solutions
1.

2. Using

, solve for Q:

3.

4.
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b) V=Ed 100V = (5000N/c) (2x10 m)

c) C= eo A/d = 8.85x10

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(0.3m /2x10 m) = 1.33x10

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d) F=Eq = (5000N/c)(1.6x10-19 C) = 8 x10 N

5. 13600 m2
6. same

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