Decide whether each of these statements is True (T) or False
The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is doubled if:
(i) The separation of the plates is doubled.
(ii) The area of the plates is doubled.
A) (i) T (ii) T
B) (i) T (ii) F
C) (i) F (ii) T
D) (i) F (ii) F

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is given by:

C = ε0(A/d)

where ε0 is the permittivity of free space, A is the area of the plates, and d is the separation between the plates.

(i) Doubling the separation of the plates (while keeping the area constant) will decrease the capacitance by a factor of 2, since the capacitance is inversely proportional to the separation. This statement is False.

(ii) Doubling the area of the plates (while keeping the separation constant) will double the capacitance, since the capacitance is directly proportional to the area. This statement is True.

Therefore, the only choice that correctly identifies the true statement and the false statement is C.

Decide Whether Each of These Statements Is True (T) or False