Written by 
Download books 📚 chapter 2
Question & answer
1. What is electrostatic potential?
Answer: Electrostatic potential at a point is the amount of work done in bringing a unit positive charge from infinity to that point without acceleration. It is a scalar quantity and is measured in volts (V).
2. Define electrostatic potential energy.
Answer: Electrostatic potential energy is the energy stored in a system of charges due to their positions relative to each other. It is the work done in assembling the charges from infinity to the given configuration.
3. What is a capacitor?
Answer: A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It consists of two conductors separated by an insulating material called a dielectric.
4. Explain the concept of capacitance.
Answer: Capacitance is the ability of a capacitor to store charge per unit potential difference between its plates. It is a measure of how much charge can be stored for a given potential difference and is measured in farads (F).
5. What is the principle of a capacitor?
Answer: The principle of a capacitor is based on the fact that the charge stored on the plates is directly proportional to the potential difference between them, provided the physical characteristics of the capacitor (size, shape, and material of the plates, and the dielectric) remain constant.
6. How does the dielectric material affect capacitance?
Answer: The dielectric material between the plates of a capacitor increases the capacitance by reducing the effective electric field between the plates. This allows more charge to be stored for the same potential difference.
7. Define potential difference.
Answer: Potential difference between two points is the work done in moving a unit positive charge from one point to the other. It is the difference in the electric potential between the two points.
8. What is an equipotential surface?
Answer: An equipotential surface is a surface on which every point has the same electrostatic potential. No work is done when a charge is moved along an equipotential surface.
9. Explain the concept of electrostatic shielding.
Answer: Electrostatic shielding is the phenomenon where a conductor can block the external electric fields, ensuring that the electric field inside the conductor is zero. This is used to protect sensitive equipment from external electric fields.
11. What is the principle of superposition of electric potential?
Answer: The principle of superposition of electric potential states that the total potential at a point due to multiple charges is the algebraic sum of the potentials due to each charge taken separately.
12. What is the significance of zero potential energy?
Answer: Zero potential energy typically refers to the state where no work is required to assemble a system of charges from infinity, or it is the reference point from which potential energy is measured.
13. Explain the concept of a parallel plate capacitor.
Answer: A parallel plate capacitor consists of two parallel conducting plates separated by a dielectric material. The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor depends on the area of the plates, the distance between them, and the dielectric constant of the material between the plates.
14. Explain the concept of a spherical capacitor.
Answer: A spherical capacitor consists of two concentric spherical conductors. The capacitance of a spherical capacitor depends on the radii of the inner and outer spheres and the dielectric material between them.
15. What happens when capacitors are connected in series?
Answer: When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance decreases, and the reciprocal of the total capacitance is the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances.
16. What happens when capacitors are connected in parallel?
Answer: When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance increases, and the total capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitances.
Get involved!
Comments