Table 4: Capacitor Charged, Bulb Connected

Quantity Observations Reasons

Charge (Q) on capacitor Decreases The charged stored in the
capacitor decreases as it is
consumed by the light bulb.

Capacitance (C) of capacitor Remains the same There is no change in the

distance and area of the
capacitor. Therefore, the
capacitance of it remains the
same.

Potential (V) across capacitor Decreases Since the capacitor is not

connected to the battery, there
will no source of voltage. That is
why, the potential of the
capacitor will decrease as the
light bulb continuously uses
energy.
Stored Energy (U) between Decreases There is an observable decrease
plates in the stored energy between
the plates because the light
bulb uses it.
Electric Field (E) between Decreases The electric field is directly
plates proportional to the charges.
Therefore, when there is a
decrease in charger, the electric
field will also decrease.

11. Will bulb glow for longer time if more energy is stored between the capacitor plates?

Yes, the light bulb will glow longer as more energy is stored between the capacitor plates.

THINK:

1. Does capacitance depend upon the potential across capacitor?

It remains constant whether the capacitor is connected or disconnected to the light bulb.
Therefore, the capacitance does not depend upon the potential across the capacitor.

2. Is electric field between plates of a capacitor uniform or non-uniform?

The electric field between plates of a capacitor is uniform because it appears to have a pattern
and it is uniformly scattered over the capacitor’s parallel plates.

3. Why does capacitor discharge when you connect it across a resistor?

A resistor prevents the flow of current and when a capacitor is connected to it, is can charge or
discharge the capacitor.
4. On capacitor plates, are the charges same on both plates at any time?
No, because there are time when both plates does not have equal charges, it can be that both
plates have opposite charges whish is one being negative and the other have positive charge.

5. If you need to light up a bulb for longer duration, which of the following, you will select to
supply power to bulb?
a. A1.5 Volt cell
b. A. 1.5 Volt charged capacitor.

- Both the volt cell and charged capacitor can supply power to a light bulb. However, the 1.5 volt
cell is more efficient to use, for it could be easily replaced if ever it runs out of power. While the
charged capacitor needs to be recharged after some time.