Practice question · Match the pairs
Match each capacitor arrangement to the quantity its elements share and the resulting combination.
- Two capacitors in parallel
- Two capacitors in series
- Plates moved further apart
- Dielectric inserted between the plates
- Capacitance rises by the relative permittivity
- Share charge; reciprocals add
- Capacitance falls, as one over the gap
- Share voltage; capacitances add directly
Hints
- Ask which quantity is common to both elements in each arrangement.
- Series capacitors share charge, which is why their combination is smaller than either.
Show the answer
- Two capacitors in parallel → Share voltage; capacitances add directly
- Two capacitors in series → Share charge; reciprocals add
- Plates moved further apart → Capacitance falls, as one over the gap
- Dielectric inserted between the plates → Capacitance rises by the relative permittivity
Why
Parallel elements share voltage so their charges add, giving a larger capacitance; series elements share charge and split the voltage, giving a smaller one. Geometry and the dielectric change directly, since .
Practise Conductors and Capacitance
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