When a capacitor are plugged into the battery, what happens to the Q(charge), potential difference, and C(do all of them increase?). would it have the same effect if two capacitors connected in parallel plugged into the battery
The potential difference of the battery is V, a constant. When a capacitor is wired across it, it acquires a charge Q equal to C*V, where C is the capacitance. C is also a constant.
Connecting two or more capacitors in parallel increases the total stored charge, since they all get added.
When a capacitor is connected to a battery, some changes occur in the charge (Q), potential difference (V), and capacitance (C). Let me explain the effects step by step.
1. Charge (Q): Initially, when the capacitor is not connected to the battery, it has no charge. However, when it is connected to the battery, the battery causes a flow of electrons from one plate of the capacitor to the other, known as charging. The charge accumulates on the capacitor plates and gradually increases until it reaches its maximum value.
2. Potential Difference (V): When the capacitor is first connected to the battery, the potential difference across its plates increases rapidly. As the charge accumulates on the plates, the potential difference across the capacitor increases. Eventually, it reaches the same potential difference as the battery. The potential difference across the capacitor is directly proportional to the applied voltage.
3. Capacitance (C): The capacitance of a capacitor remains constant unless it is physically altered. When connected to a battery, the capacitance of the capacitor doesn't change. It is determined by the physical characteristics of the capacitor, such as the area and separation of the plates, and the type of dielectric material between them.
Now, let's move on to the scenario with two capacitors connected in parallel to the battery:
1. Charge: When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total charge on the combination of capacitors is divided among them. In this case, both capacitors will accumulate charge from the battery independently. The total charge on both capacitors combined will be the sum of the charges on each capacitor.
2. Potential Difference: The potential difference across each capacitor will be the same, and it will be equal to the potential difference of the battery. When capacitors are connected in parallel, the potential difference across each capacitor is equal to the applied voltage.
3. Capacitance: When capacitors are connected in parallel, their total capacitance increases. The total capacitance (C_total) of capacitors in parallel can be obtained by summing the individual capacitances (C1, C2, C3, etc.) of each capacitor.
C_total = C1 + C2 + C3 + ...
To summarize, when a single capacitor is connected to a battery, the charge and potential difference increase, while the capacitance remains the same. When multiple capacitors are connected in parallel to the battery, the charge and potential difference increase, and the total capacitance increases.