Question

A capacitor is a system of two conductors separated by an insulator. The two conductors have equal and opposite charges with a potential difference between them. The capacitance of a capacitor depends on the geometrical configuration (shape, size and separation) of the system and also on the nature of the insulator separating the two conductors. They are used to store charges. Like resistors, capacitors can be arranged in series or parallel or a combination of both to obtain desired value of capacitance.

A parallel plate capacitor is an arrangement of two identical metal plates kept parallel, a small distance apart. The capacitance of a capacitor depends on the size and separation of the two plates and also on the dielectric constant of the medium between the plates. Like resistors, capacitors can also be arranged in series or parallel or a combination of both. By virtue of electric field between the plates, charged capacitors store energy.

A 100 μF capacitor is charged by a 12 V battery.

The capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor depends on: