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A parallel plate capacitor is charged by a battery. The battery is then disconne

ID: 2170576 • Letter: A

Question

A parallel plate capacitor is charged by a battery. The battery is then disconnected, but the charge remains on the plates. The plates are then pulled apart until their separation is doubled. Which of the following statements is correct? (You can assume that the lateral dimensions of the capacitor plates are much larger than the separation between them.)
A. The capacitance is halved and the electric field remains the same.
B. The capacitance is doubled and the potential difference between the plates is halved.
C. The capacitance is halved and the potential difference between the plates remains the same.
D. The capacitance is doubled and the potential difference between the plates is doubled.
E. The capacitance is doubled and the electric field between the plates is doubled.

Explanation / Answer

A. The capacitance is halved and the electric field remains the same. TRUE
B. The capacitance is doubled and the potential difference between the plates is halved. FALSE
C. The capacitance is halved and the potential difference between the plates remains the same. FALSE
D. The capacitance is doubled and the potential difference between the plates is doubled. FALSE
E. The capacitance is doubled and the electric field between the plates is doubled. FALSE