4.09 MC answers.

docx Page 1 of 2 Classwork MC

CLASSWORK: CAPACITORS MC QUESTIONS

1. A and B are both correct statements. When fully charged there is no current in the circuit and so
the PD across the resistor is 0 V. Using Kirchoff’s 2 nd law, all of the supply PD must be across
the capacitor.
{Looked at another way: the power supply’s PD is trying to ‘push’ charge onto the capacitor; the
capacitor’s PD is ‘pushing’ back. The capacitor stops charging when the two PDs balance out.}
Stored energy = ½𝐶𝑉 2 = ½  10  10-6  202 = 2  10-3 J
Energy provided by supply = 𝑄𝑉 = 𝐶𝑉 2 = 4  10-3 J so answer D is incorrect.

2. Stored energy = ½𝐶𝑉 2 = ½  10  10-3  102 = 0.5 J of which 10% ends up as GPE
ℎ = 𝐺𝑃𝐸/𝑚𝑔 = 0.1  0.5  (0.1  9.81) = 0.051 m = answer A

3. 𝜏 = 𝑅𝐶 = 400  103  15  10-6 = 6 seconds, not 6 ms

𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉 = 15  10-6  8 = 120 μC, not 12 μC
After two time constants, 𝑄 = 𝑄0 /𝑒 2 not 𝑄0 𝑒 2 – charge decreases, not increases!
After one time constant, 𝑉0 becomes 𝑉0 /𝑒 = 8  𝑒 = 2.94 V, so answer D is correct.

4. 𝜏 = 𝑅𝐶. If 𝐶 is increased then 𝜏 increases, not decreases. Answer B is incorrect.

{C is correct: 𝐼0 = 𝑉0 /𝑅 so if two circuits have the same 𝑉0 then a larger 𝑅 will decrease 𝐼0 .
D is correct: 𝐼𝑜 = 𝑉𝑜 /𝑅 has nothing to do with 𝐶.}

5. 𝐶 = 𝑄/𝑉 = 30 μC  6 V = 5 μF so A is correct.
𝑄 = 𝐶 𝑉 = 5 μC  2 V = 10 μC so B is correct
𝐸 = ½ 𝑄 𝑉 = ½  10 μC  2 V = 10 μJ so C is correct
𝐸 = ½ 𝐶 𝑉 = ½  5 μF  62 = 90 μJ
2
so D is incorrect

6. The trick here is to notice the reference to a constant current.

It would be very hard to achieve this in practice, as current decreases exponentially when
charging or discharging. You would need to be constantly adjusting a variable resistor (or using
a Van de Graaff generator as these can provide a constant amount of charge per second).
As current is constant, we can use 𝑄 = 𝐼 𝑡 = 10  10-6  20 = 2  10-4 C
𝐸 = ½ 𝑄2 /𝐶 = ½  (2  10-4)2  (1  10-6) = 0.02 J or 2  10-2 J
ONLY use the 𝑄 = 𝐼 𝑡 trick if current is declared to be constant by the Examiner. In a normal
charge / discharge question this will NOT be true, and any attempt to use 𝑄 = 𝐼 𝑡 will lose you
all of the available marks.

7. ‘Constant rate’ of increase in PD means constant rate of increase of charge.

This is another ‘constant current’ problem.
Initial 𝑄 = 0 C
Final 𝑄 = 𝐶 𝑉 = 400 μF  4 V = 1 600 μC
𝐼 = 𝛥𝑄/𝑡 = 1 600 μC  20 s = 80 μA
4.09 MC answers.docx Page 2 of 2 Classwork MC

By now you should have noticed the trick of not converting μ in certain calculations.
These μ terms can stack, so if you were using the formula 𝐸 = ½ 𝑄2 /𝐶 for a charge of 20 μC
then 𝑄2 = (20 μ)2 = 400 μ2, not just 400 μ. If in doubt, put back into ‘proper’ units using  10-6.

8. The capacitor is charging up, so charge increases with time, as graph 2.

Current always decreases with time, so current follows graph 1.

𝑄1 𝐶1 𝑉1 𝐶1
9. = = as both capacitors have the same PD across them i.e. 𝑉1 = 𝑉2 .
𝑄2 𝐶2 𝑉2 𝐶2
𝑄1
= 1 000 μ  10 μ = 100
𝑄2
OR
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑉 and both capacitors have the same 𝑉 so 𝑄 ∝ 𝐶.
The 1 000 μF capacitor has 100  the capacitance of the 10 μF capacitor and so it will store
100  as much charge.

10. To reach 2.5 V requires stored charge 𝑄 = 𝐶 𝑉 = 1 000  10-6  2.5 = 0.0025 C
‘Steady’ current, so 𝑡 = 𝑄/𝐼 = 0.0025  (50  10-6) = 50 seconds

11. Energy stored = ½ 𝐶 𝑉 2 = ½  50  10-6  (30  103)2 = 22 500 J

Mean power = 𝐸/𝑡 = 22 500  (5  10-3) = 4.5  106 W or 4.5 MW

12. The first and last equations are correct.

{This is an old question, and I’m going to guess that the old formula sheet did not give all the
variations of energy stored, requiring you to combine 𝐶 = 𝑄/𝑉 and ½ 𝑄 𝑉 to derive the other
forms.}

13. Initial PD 𝑉0 = 6 V.
After one time constant, the PD will drop to 𝑉0 /𝑒 = 6  𝑒 = 2.2 V

𝜏 = 𝑅 𝐶 = 500  10  10-3 = 5 seconds

If the data logger reads 1 000 readings in 10 seconds then it will read 500 in 5 seconds.

14. Capacitor PD decreases exponentially with time when discharging

Field strength 𝐸 = 𝑄/4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 is an inverse-square relationship as 𝐸 ∝ 1/𝑟 2 .
Potential 𝑉 = −𝐺𝑀/𝑟 is an inverse relationship as 𝑉 ∝ 1/𝑟.