When a capacitor are plugged into the battery, what happens to the Q(charge), potential difference, and C. It would have the same effect if two capacitors connected in parallel plugged into the battery
The capacitor acquires a charge Q = C V.
V is the battery voltage and C is a constant, the capacitance of the capacitor, in Farads.
When a capacitor is plugged into a battery, several changes occur in terms of charge (Q), potential difference (V), and capacitance (C).
Initially, the capacitor is uncharged, and when connected to a battery, the battery's potential difference (V_battery) is applied across the capacitor. The charging process begins, and electrons start to accumulate on the negative plate of the capacitor, while an equal number of electrons are removed from the positive plate. This accumulation of electrons on one plate and depletion on the other creates a potential difference across the capacitor, which opposes the potential difference provided by the battery.
Here's what happens to each variable:
1. Charge (Q): As the capacitor charges, the magnitude of the charge on each plate gradually increases. The flow of charge into the capacitor plate continues until the potential difference across the capacitor matches the potential difference provided by the battery. At this point, the charge remains constant, and no further current flows through the circuit.
2. Potential Difference (V): When the capacitor is initially connected to the battery, the potential difference across the capacitor is zero. However, as the capacitor charges, the potential difference across its plates gradually increases. Eventually, the potential difference across the capacitor will become equal in magnitude to the potential difference provided by the battery. At this stage, the capacitor is considered fully charged, and the potential difference across the capacitor matches the battery's potential difference.
3. Capacitance (C): The capacitance of the capacitor, represented by the symbol 'C,' remains constant throughout the process. Capacitance is a measure of a capacitor's ability to store charge per unit potential difference. It depends on the physical characteristics of the capacitor, such as the area of its plates, the distance between them, and the type of dielectric material used.
Regarding your second question about connecting two capacitors in parallel to a battery: When capacitors are connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance (C_eq) is simply the sum of the individual capacitances. Therefore, if two capacitors with capacitances C1 and C2 are connected in parallel and connected to a battery, the overall capacitance across the combination will be C_eq = C1 + C2.
In summary, when a capacitor is connected to a battery, the charge on the capacitor plates gradually increases until the potential difference across the capacitor matches the battery's potential difference. The capacitance remains constant during this process. Similarly, if two capacitors are connected in parallel to a battery, the equivalent capacitance is the sum of their individual capacitances.