SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 2 CAPACITORS
UPS SEMESTER 2
2005/2006
1. (a) Define the capacitance of a capacitor.
[1 mark]
(b) An air-filled capacitor consists of two parallel plates each with an area of 200 2 ,
separated by a distance of 0.4 .
(i) Calculate the capacitance of the capacitor. [Answer: . ]
(ii) If a voltage source of 500V is connected to the capacitor, calculate the total
charge and the energy stored in the capacitor. [Answer: = . , =
. ]
[9 marks]
2006/2007
2. (a)

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1 shows two circuits, P and Q with identical capacitors but different resistors. If
is greater than , which circuit will charge faster? Give your reasoning.
[3 marks]
(b) (i)

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2 shows a circuit consisting of an air-filled parallel plate capacitor, D.C. supply and

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

lamp. When a sheet of glass is inserted between the plates of the capacitor, explain the
changes in lamp brightness.
(ii)

FIGURE 3
Calculate the effective capacitance of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 3.
[Answer: 4 F]
[7 marks]
2007/2008
3. (a) A charged capacitor is connected in parallel to an identical capacitor which is
uncharged. State the changes in the potential difference, the effective capacitance and the
total charge on the combination of the capacitors.
[3 marks]
(b)

FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4 shows the variation of current in a circuit with time during a discharging process
of a capacitor through a resistor of 2 . Determine

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

(i)
(ii)

the capacitance of the capacitor and the time constant . [Answer: = . ,

= ]
the time taken for the current decreases to half of its maximum value. [Answer:
. ]
[7 marks]

2008/2009
4. (a) (i) What is meant by 1 Farad?
(ii) Suggest ONE way to discharge a charged capacitor.
[2 marks]
(b) A capacitor of capacitance 20 is fully charged from a 50 supply.
(i) Calculate the amount of energy delivered. [Answer: . ]
(ii) Calculate the energy stored in the capacitor. Explain why there us a difference
between answer 4(b)(i) and 4(b)(ii). [Answer: . ]
[8 marks]
2009/2010
5. A parallel-plate capacitor filled with air has plates of cross sectional area, = 250 2
each and separation distance, = 2.00 is connected to a battery 150 .
(a) Calculate
(i) the capacitance of the capacitor. [Answer: ]
(ii) the charge on each plate. [Answer: . ]
[6 marks]
(b) The battery is then disconnected and a dielectric sheet is placed between the plates. How
does the energy stored in a capacitor change when the dielectric sheet is inserted? Explain
your answer.
[4 marks]
2010/2011
6. (a) (i) Define capacitance.
(ii) Explain how a piece of dielectric inserted between the plates of a capacitor will
increase its capacitance.
[4 marks]
(b)

FIGURE 5
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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

FIGURE 5 shows a 10 capacitor is charged through a 4 resistor using a 12 battery
when switch S is closed. The resistance of the microammeter is negligible.
(i) Calculate the maximum current in the circuit and sketch a graph of against
during the process. [Answer: ]
(ii) Determine the time constant. [Answer: ]
[6 marks]
2011/2012
7. (a) (i)
(ii)

State TWO differences between conductors and dielectrics.

The plates of a charged capacitor are conducted to a voltmeter. If the plates of the
capacitor are separated further, what happens to the reading voltmeter? Explain
your answer.
[5 marks]
(b) A capacitor stores 120 of charge when it is connected across a potential difference of
24 . Calculate
(i) the capacitance of the capacitor. [Answer: ]
(ii) the amount of charge to be removed from the capacitor so that its potential
difference can be reduced to two-third of its initial value. [Answer: ]
[5 marks]
2012/2013
8. (a) (i) What is meant by time constant?
(ii) Suggest TWO ways to increase the time constant.
[3 marks]
(b)

FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6 shows three capacitors connected to a 12 battery.
(i) Determine the total capacitance of the circuit. [Answer: ]
(ii) Calculate the charge stored in 3 . [Answer: . ]
[7 marks]

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

2013/2014
9. (a) (i) Define dielectric constant.
(ii)

FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7 shows an arrangement of three capacitors, 2 , 3 and 4 connected to a
battery. If the charge on the 2 capacitor is 30 , calculate the voltage across the 4
capacitor.
[Answer: ]
[4 marks]
(b) (i)
How to arrange two capacitors that will maximise the stored energy? Explain your
answer.
(ii) A capacitor is discharging through a resistor. In terms of the time constant ,
when will the charge decrease to half of its initial value?
[Answer: . ]
[6 marks]
2014/2015
10. (a) (i) Define capacitance.
(ii) State TWO ways to increase the capacitance.
[3 marks]
(b) A parallel plate capacitor is connected to a 6 battery. The separation distance between
the plates is 0.06 and the area of the plates is 2.8 104 2 .
(i) Calculate the charge of the capacitor. [Answer: = . ]
(ii) If two other identical capacitors are connected in series to the capacitor, calculate
the effective capacitance. [Answer: = . ]
[7 marks]

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SF026: PAST YEAR UPS QUESTIONS

2015/2016
2. (a)

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2 shows a capacitor is charged to a potential different 5.0 V when the switch is
connected to A.
(i) Calculate charge in the capacitor when it is fully charged. [Ans: Q 25 mC ]
(ii) Sketch a graph of current versus time immediately after the switch is moved from A to B.
[4 marks]
(b)

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3 shows three identical capacitors of capacitance 2 F connected to 10 V battery.
If all of them are fully charged, calculate the
(i) effective capacitance. [Ans: Ceff 3 106 F ]
(ii) stored energy in C2 . [Ans: U 2 2.5 105 J ]
[6 marks]

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