Chapter 33, Problem 18A

How does the amount of charge on the plate of a charged capacitor compare with the amount of charge on the opposite plate?

To determine

To Compare: The amount of charge on the plates of a charged capacitor.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Capacitor is an electronic device which is used to store electrical energy. It can store a large amount of energy at once. A simplest and most common capacitor is a pair of conducting plates which are separated by a small distance and the plates are not in contact with each other.

In case of such capacitor, when a battery is connected to the plates, the positive terminal of the battery pulls the electrons from the plate connected to this terminal. These electrons transfer through the negative terminal of the battery to the plate connected to it. Hence, the charge gets transferred from one plate to the other. Comparing both the plates, it can be concluded that the capacitor plates have equal and opposite charges.

Conclusion:

Hence, the amount of charge is equal and opposite for both the plates.