Page |1

1.

Assuming the earth to be a spherical conductor of radius 6400 km, calculate its capacitance.
[Himachal 98 C ; Haryana 98C]

2.

Twenty seven spherical drops of radius 3 mm and carrying 10 12 C of charge are combined to
form a single drop. Find the capacitance and the potential of bigger drop. [Haryana 01]

3.

N drops of mercury of equal radii and possessing equal charges combine to form a big drop.
Compare the charge, capacitance and potential of bigger drop with the corresponding quantities
of individual drops.
[Punjab 01]

4.

The negative plate of a parallel plate capacitor is given a charge of 20 x 10

charges appearing on the four surfaces of the capacitor plates.

5.

Two capacitors of capacitances 3 F and 6 F, are charged to potentials of 2 V and 5 V

respectively. These two charged capacitors are connected in series. Find the potential across
each of the two capacitors now.
[CBSE Sample Paper 04]

6.

Three capacitors C1, C2 and C3 are connected to a 6 V battery, as shown in Figure.

charges on the three capacitors.

7.

Find the equivalent capacitance of the combination of capacitors between the points A and B as
shown in Figure. Also calculate the total charge that flows in the circuit when a 100 V battery is
connected between the points A and B.
[CBSE D 02]

8.

If C1 = 3 pF and C2 = 2 pF, calculate the equivalent capacitance of the given network between
points A and B.
[CBSE Sample Paper 90]

C. Find the

Find the

Page |2

9.

From the network shown in Figure, find the value of the capacitance C if the equivalent
capacitance between points A and B is to be 1 F. All the capacitances are in F.

10.
F

Find the equivalent capacitance between the points P and Q as shown in Figure. Given C = 18
and C1 = 12 F.
[REC 97]

11.

Four capacitors are connected as shown in the Figure. Calculate

between the points X and Y.

the

equivalent

capacitance

12.
Five capacitors of capacitance 10 F each are connected with each other, as shown in Figure.
Calculate the total capacitance between the points A and C.

13.

Find the equivalent capacitor of the ladder as per Figure between points A and B.

14.

If C1 = 20 F, C2 = 30 F and C3 = 15 F and the insulated plate of C1 be at a potential of 90 V,

one plate of C3 being earthed. What is the potential difference between the plates of C2, three
capacitors being connected in series?

Page |3

15.

In the circuit shown in Figure, if the point C is earthed and point A is given a potential of + 1200
V, find the charge on each capacitor and the potential at the point B.

16.

A network of four 10 F capacitor is connected to a 500 V supply as shown in Figure.

Determine (a) the equivalent capacitance of the network (b). the charge on each capacitor

17.
Four capacitors C1, C2, C3 and C4 are connected to a battery of 12
V, as shown in Figure. Find the potential difference between the points A
and B.

18.

Five identical capacitor plates, each of area A are arranged such that the adjacent plates are at
distance d apart. The plates are connected to a source of emf as shown in Figure. Find the
charges on the various plates.
[IIT 84]

19.

A network of six identical capacitors, each of value C is made, as shown in figure. Find the
equivalent capacitance between the points A and B.

20.

Four capacitors of equal capacitances are connected in series with a battery of 10 V, as shown in
Figure. The middle point B is connected to the earth. What will be the potentials of the points
Aand C?

Page |4

21.

Find the potential difference between the points A and B of the arrangement as shown in Figure.

22.

Two capacitors of capacitances C1 = 3 F and C2 = 6 F arranged in series are connected in

parallel with a third capacitor C3 = 4 F. The arrangement is connected to a 6.0 V battery.
Calculate the total energy stored in the capacitors.
[CBSE Sample Paper 98]

23.

Three identical capacitors C1, C2 and C3 of capacitance 6 F each are connected to a 12 V battery
as shown.
Find :
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

Charge on each capacitor.

Equivalent capacitance of the network.
Energy stored in the network of capacitors.

[CBSE D09]

24.

(i) A 900 pF capacitor is charged by a 100 V battery. How much electrostatic energy is stored by
the capacitor?
(ii)The capacitor is disconnected from the battery and connected to another 900 pF capacitor.
What is the electrostatic energy stored by the system?
(iii)Where has the remainder of the energy gone?
[NCERT, CBSE OD 90]

25.

A capacitor is charged to potential V1. The power supply is disconnected and the capacitor is
connected in parallel to another uncharged capacitor.
Derive the expression for the common potential of the combination of capacitors.
Show that total energy of the combination is less than the sum of the energy stored in them
before they are connected.
[CBSE OD 93]

(i)
(ii)

26.

A battery of 10 V is connected to a capacitor of capacity 0.1 F. The battery is now removed and
this capacitor is connected to a second uncharged capacitor. If the charge distributes equally on
these two capacitors, find the total energy stored in the two capacitors. Further, compare this
energy with the initial energy stored in the first capacitor.
[Roorkee 96]

27.

Figure shows a network of five capacitors connected to a 100 V supply. Calculate

the
total
charge and energy stored in the network.
[CBSE Sample Paper 08]

Page |5

28.

Find the ratio of the potential differences that must be applied across the parallel and the series
combination of two capacitors C1 and C2 with their capacitances in the ratio 1 : 3 so that the
energy stored in the two cases, becomes the same.
[CBSE F 10]

29.

A parallel plate capacitor with air between the plates has a capacitance of 8 F. The separation
between the plates is now reduced by half and the space between them is filled with a medium of
dielectric constant 5. Calculate the value of capacitance of the capacitor in the second case.
[CBSE OC 06]

30.

Figure shows two identical capacitors, C1 and C2, each of 1 F capacitance connected to a
battery of 6 V. Initially switch S is closed. After some time S is left open and dielectric slabs
of dielectric constant k = 3 are inserted to fill completely the space between the plates of the two
capacitors. How will the (i) charge and (ii) potential difference between the plates of the
capacitors be affected after the slabs are inserted ?
[CBSE D 11]

31.

A slab of material of dielectric constant k has the same area as the plates of a parallel plate
capacitor but has a thickness 3d / 4, where d is the separation of the plates. How is the
capacitance changed when the slab is inserted between the plates?
[NCERT]

32.

(a) Find the ratio of the capacitances of a capacitor filled with two dielectrics of same dimensions
but of dielectric constants k1 and k2, respectively.
(b)A capacitor is filled with two dielectrics of the same dimensions but of dielectric constants k1
= 2 and k2 = 3. Find the ratio of capacities in two possible arrangements.
[MNREC 85]

33.

The two plates of a parallel plate capacitor are 4 mm apart. A slab of dielectric constant 3 and
thickness 3 mm is introduced between the plates with its faces parallel to them. The distance
between the plates is so adjusted that the capacitance of the capacitor becomes 2/3rd of its
original value. What is the new distance between the plates?
[CBSE OD 08 C]

34.

Figure shows a parallel plate capacitor of plate area A and plate separation d. Its entire space is
filled with three different dielectric slabs of same thickness. Find the equivalent capacitance of
the arrangement.

Page |6

35.

A sheet of aluminium foil of negligible thickness is placed between the plates of a capacitor, as
shown in Figure. What effect has it on the capacitance if (i) the foil is electrically insulated, and
(ii) the foil is connected to the upper plate with a conducting wire?

36.

The graph Figure (a) shows the variation of voltage V across the plates of two capacitors A and
B versus increase of charge Q stored on them. Which of the capacitors has higher capacitance?
Give reason for your answe

37.

The given graph shows the variation of charge q versus potential difference V for two capacitors
C1 and C2. The two capacitors have same plate separation but the plat area of C2 is double than
that of C1. Which of the lines in the graph correspond to C1 and C2 and why? [CBSE OD 06]

38.

The plates of a parallel plate capacitor are drawn apart keeping them connected to a battery.
Next the same plates are drawn apart from the same initial condition keeping the battery
disconnected. In which case is more work done? Give reason.

39.

An uncharged capacitor is connected to a battery. Show that half the energy supplied by the
battery is lost as heat while charging the capacitor.

40.

Two identical capacitors C1 and C2 are connected to a battery B, as shown in the Figure. A
dielectric slab is slipped between the plates of C2, the battery remaining connected. What
happens to the charge, the capacitance, the potential difference and stored energy of each
capacitor?

Page |7

41.

A parallel plate capacitor is charged by a battery. After some time the battery is disconnected
and a dielectric slab with its thickness equal to the plate separation is inserted between the plates.
What change, in any will take place in (i) charge on the plates (ii) electric
field
intensity
between the plates (iii) the capacitance of the capacitor, (iv) potential difference between
the
plates and (v) the energy stored in the capacitor? Justify your answer in each case.
[CBSE D 07, 10 ; OD 09]

42.

A parallel plate capacitor, each with plate area A and separation d, is charged to a potential
difference V. The battery used to charge it remains connected. A dielectric slab of thickness d
and dielectric constant k is now placed between the plates. What change, if any, will take place
in :
Charge on plates
Electric field intensity between the plates.
Capacitance of the capacitor.
Justify your answer in each case?

(i)
(ii)
(iii)

43.

N spherical droplets, each of radius r, have been charged to have a potential V each. If all these
droplets were to coalesce to form a single large drop, what would be the potential of this large
drop
?
(It is given that the capacitance of a sphere of radius x equals
).[CBSE Sample Paper 13]

44.

(i) Two circular metal plates, each of radius 10 cm, are kept parallel to each other at a distance of
1 mm. What kind of capacitor do they make ? Mention one application of this capacitor.
(ii) If the radius of each of the plates is increased by a factor of and their distance of
separation decreased to half of its initial value, calculate the ratio of the capacitance in the two
cases.
(iii) Suggest any one possible method by which the capacitance in the second case be increased
by n times.
[CBSE Sample Paper 03]

45.

Keeping the voltage of the charging source constant, what would be the percentage change in the
energy stored in a parallel plate capacitor if the separation between its plates were to be
decreased by 10%?
[CBSE S.P. 08]

46.

The capacitors C1, C2, having plates of area A each, are connected in series, as shown. Compare
the capacitance of this combination with the capacitor C3, again having plates of area A each, but
made up as shown in Figure.
[CBSE Sample Paper 13]

k1

47.

k2

k1

k2

Three identical parallel plate (air) capacitors C1, C2, C3 have capacitances C each. The space
between their plates is now filled with dielectrics as shown. If all the three capacitors, still have
equal capacitances, obtain the relation between the dielectric constants k1, k2, k3 and k4.

Page |8

48.

What is the capacitance of arrangement of 4 plates of area A at distance d in air in Figure.

49.

What is the capacitance of arrangement of 4 plates of area A at distance d in air in Figure.

50.

A capacitor is made of a flat plate of area A and a second plate having a stair-like structure, as
shown in Figure. The width of each stair is a and the height is b. Find the capacitance of the
assembly.

51.

An electrical technician requires a capacitance of 2 F in a circuit across a potential difference of

1 kV. A large number of 1 F capacitors are available to him each of which can withstand a
potential difference of not more than 400 V. Suggest a possible arrangement that requires a
minimum number of capacitors.

52.

Obtain the equivalent capacitance of the network shown in the Figure. For a 300 V supply,
determine the charge and voltage across each capacitor.
[CBSE OD 08]

53.

A 4 F capacitor is charged by a 200 V supply. It is then disconnected from the supply and is
connected to another uncharged 2 F capacitor. How much electrostatic energy of the first
capacitor is lost in the form of heat and electromagnetic radiation?
[CBSE OD 05]

Page |9

54.

Show that the force on each plate of a parallel plate capacitor has a magnitude equal to
,
where q is the charge on the capacitor and E is the magnitude of electric field between the plates.
Explain the origin of the factor .

55.

A spherical capacitor consists of two concentric spherical conductors, held in position by suitable
insulating supports as shown in Figure. Show that the capacitance of a spherical capacitor is
given by

Where

and

are the radii of outer and inner sphere respectively.

56.

Answer Carefully

(i)

Two large conducting spheres carrying charges Q1 and Q2 are brought close to each other. Is the
magnitude of electrostatic force between them exactly given by
, where r is the distance

(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)

57.

between their centres?

If Coulombs law involved 1/r3 dependence (instead of 1/r2), would Gauss law be still true?
A small test charge is released at rest at a point in an electrostatic field configuration. Will it
travel along the line of force passing through that point?
What is the work done by the field of a nucleus in a complete circular orbit of the electron?
What if the orbit is elliptical?
We know that electric field is discontinuous across the surface of a charged conductor. Is
electric potential also discontinuous there?
What meaning would you give to the capacity of a single conductor?
Guess a possible reason why water has a much greater dielectric constant (= 80) than say, mica
(= 6).

A parallel plate capacitor of area A, plate separation d and capacitance C is filled with three
different dielectric materials having dielectric constants
and
as shown. If a single
dielectric material is to be used to have the same capacitance C in this capacitor, then its
dielectric constant k is given by
(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

[IIT 2000]

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58.

Consider the situation shown in the figure. The capacitor A has charge q on it, whereas B is
uncharged. The charge appearing on the capacitor B a long time after the switch S is closed, is
(a)

zero

(b)

q/2

(c)

(d)

2q

[IIT 2002]

NOTES
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