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HW7 C Solutions

This document contains 13 multiple choice questions related to capacitors and RC circuits. It provides diagrams, equations, and step-by-step explanations for calculating capacitance, charge, voltage, electric field, time constants, and power consumption in various capacitor and RC circuit configurations. The questions cover topics such as spherical capacitors, parallel plate capacitors, capacitors in series and parallel, RC circuits, and capacitor charging and discharging.

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mmsingh91
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
394 views6 pages

HW7 C Solutions

This document contains 13 multiple choice questions related to capacitors and RC circuits. It provides diagrams, equations, and step-by-step explanations for calculating capacitance, charge, voltage, electric field, time constants, and power consumption in various capacitor and RC circuit configurations. The questions cover topics such as spherical capacitors, parallel plate capacitors, capacitors in series and parallel, RC circuits, and capacitor charging and discharging.

Uploaded by

mmsingh91
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

This print-out should have 13 questions.


Multiple-choice questions may continue on
the next column or page find all choices
before answering.

zero. Thus, at r = r1 ,

001 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points


As in the figure below, a a thin spherical metal
shell of radius r1 has a charge Q (on its outer
surface) and is surrounded by a concentric
thin spherical metal shell of radius r2 which
has a charge Q (on its inner surface).

At r r2 ,

V =

V =

V =

|V | = V1 V2
1 Q
1 Q
=

40 r1 40 r2


1
1
1
Q

=
40
r1 r2

Use the definition of capacitance

Solve for Q to get

Q = C |V |
to find the capacitance of this spherical capacitor.


1
1
1

1. C =
80 r1 r2
40
 correct
2. C = 
1
1

r1  r2

1
1
3. C = 40

r1 r2
80

4. C = 
1
1

r1  r2

1
1
1
5. C =

40 r1 r2
Explanation:
The electric potential outside a uniformly
charged spherical shell is that of a point particle at the center of the spherical shell:
V =

1 Q
.
40 r2

Thus,

r1 + r2

1 Q
1 Q
+
= 0.
40 r
40 r

Just inside r2 ,

1 Q
.
40 r1

1 Q
.
40 r

Inside the spherical shell, the electric field is

Q= 

40
 V.
1
1

r1 r2

Comparing to Q = C V gives
C=

40
.
1
1

r1 r2

002 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points


Assuming that the radii of the spherical shells
r1 and r2 are large and nearly equal to each
other, write C in terms of the surface area
A = 4 r 2 , and s, which is the small gap
distance between the shells (r2 = r1 + s).
1. C s A
A
s
0 s
3. C
A
0 A
correct
4. C
s

2. C

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)


Explanation:

sA
5. C
0

Vc = Es
Vc
9V
E=
=
s
0.003 m

6. C s A 0
Explanation:
We can write

= 3000 V/m

1
r1 r2
s
1

=
=
r1 r2
r1 r2
r1 r2


r1 r2
C = 40
.
s

004 (part 2 of 4) 10.0 points


How much charge is on the positive plate of
the capacitor?

And since r1 r2 = R, we know that


r1 r2 R2 , and

003 (part 1 of 4) 10.0 points


A capacitor consists of two rectangular metal
plates 2 m by 4.5 m, placed a distance 3 mm
apart in air. The capacitor is connected to a
9 V battery long enough to charge the capacitor fully, and then the battery is removed.
o = 8.85 1012 F/m

4.5 m
4.5 m (not to scale)

o A
s
(8.85 1012 F/m)(2 m)(4.5 m)
=
0.003 m
= 2.655 108 F

C=

Q = (2.655 108 F)(9 V)


= 2.3895 107 C

3 mm

Correct answer: 2.3895 107 C.


Explanation:
Q = CV . The capacitance of the capacitor is

0 4 R2
s
0 A
.

3 mm
+

+

+ +


+ +
+

0.6 mm

Voltmeter

What is the electric field inside the capacitor?


Note: The figure shows the capacitor with a
dielectric inserted for parts 1 and 2, assume
the dielectric is not present.
Correct answer: 3000 V/m.

005 (part 3 of 4) 10.0 points


With the battery still disconnected, you insert
a slab of plastic 2 m by 4.5 m by 0.6 mm
between the plates, next to the positive plate,
as shown in the figure. This plastic has a
dielectric constant of 6.
After inserting the plastic, you connect a
voltmeter to the capacitor. What is the initial
reading of the voltmeter?
Correct answer: 7.5 V.
Explanation:
Inserting the plastic changes V across the
plates because E in the plastic is less than
before. Total V across the plates is the sum
of V across the plastic + V across the air
gap.

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

V = Vplastic + Vair


0.6 mm


(9 V)
2.4 mm
3 mm
=
+ (9 V)
K
3 mm
= 0.3 V + 7.2 V

A 5 F capacitor is charged to an unknown


potential V0 and then connected across an
initially uncharged 11 F capacitor.
If the final potential difference across the
5 F capacitor is 43 V, determine V0 .
Correct answer: 137.6 V.
Explanation:

= 7.5 V
006 (part 4 of 4) 10.0 points
The voltmeter has a resistance of 1 108 .
What does the voltmeter read 4 seconds after
being connected? (Hint: Remember that the
voltmeter and capacitor together make an RC
circuit.)

Let :

C1 = 5 F ,
C2 = 11 F ,

andVf = 43 V .

Initially, before C2 is connected across C1 , the


total charge in the system is
Qi = C1 V0 .

Correct answer: 2.13702 V.


Explanation:
The voltmeter and the capacitor make an
RC circuit. The capacitor will discharge.
However, the capacitance has changed due
to the dielectric, so we need to calculate the
new value C . This is given by
Q
V
2.3895 107 C
=
7.5 V
= 3.186 108 F .

C =

V is
t

V = (7.5 V)e RC

where

When C2 is connected, the capacitors are now


in parallel. This implies that the voltage
Vf across C1 is also across C2 . Further, we
can replace the parallel capacitor combination
with Ceq = C1 + C2 , so by conservation of
charge,
Qi = Qf
C1 V0 = (C1 + C2 ) Vf
(C1 + C2 ) Vf
V0 =
C1
(5 F + 11 F) (43 V)
=
5 F
= 137.6 V .
008

RC = (1 108 )(3.186 108 F)


= 3.186 seconds
so
4 seconds
V = (7.5 V)e 3.186 seconds

= 2.13702 V
007

10.0 points

10.0 points

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)


Figure above shows 3 circuits labeled A, B
and C. All the light bulbs, batteries and the
capacitors are identical. Denote the time constants of the circuits by TA , TB and TC . The
charges after the capacitors are fully charged
by QA , QB and QC . Choose from among the
following statements:

009 (part 1 of 3) 10.0 points


Consider the circuit shown below, where
the capacitor is initially uncharged.
R2
C

R1

TA
Ia. TB =
.
2
Ib. TB = 2 TA .
TA
.
IIa. TC =
2
IIb. TC = 2 TA .

V0

S b
a

After S is switched to position a, the initial


current through R1 is
1. It=0 = R1 Vo

IIIa. QA = QB = QC .
IIIb. QA < QB , QA > QC .

2. It=0 = (R1 + R2 ) Vo
R1 R2
Vo
R1 + R2
Vo
=
R1 + R2
R1 + R2
=
Vo
R1 R2
Vo
=
correct
R1

1. Ib, IIa, IIIb

3. It=0 =

2. Ib, IIb, IIIb

4. It=0

3. Ib, IIb, IIIa


4. Ia, IIa, IIIa
5. Ia, IIb, IIIa

5. It=0
6. It=0

7. It=0 = R2 Vo

6. Ib, IIa, IIIa correct


8. It=0 =
7. Ia, IIa, IIIb
8. Ia, IIb, IIIb
Explanation:
For circuit A, TA = R C .
For circuitB, the two bulbs are in series. It
has a resistance 2 R. So TB = 2 R C.
For circuit C, the two bulbs are in parallel.
R
RC
It has a resistance . So TC =
.
2
2
Put all together, we have TB = 2 TA , and
TA
TC =
. So Ib and IIa are correct.
2
After waiting for a long time, for all three
cases Q = = E C. So QA = QB = QC . Hence,
IIIa is correct.

Vo
R2

Explanation:
When the switch is in position a at t = 0,
there is no potential drop across the capacitor.
Note: There is no current flowing through
R2 , so the entire potential drop, Vo , is across
the resistor R1 .
From Ohms law,
I=

Vo
.
R1

010 (part 2 of 3) 10.0 points


Leave the switch at position a for a long time,
then move the switch from a to b.

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)


2

When the switch is in position b, what is
Vo
3/2
e
(R1 + R2 )
=
the time constant, , of the circuit?
R1 + R2
(5 V)2
Vo2
R1 + R2
3
e
=
e3
=
1. =
C
R
+
R
7

+
10

R1 R2
1
2
R1 R2
= 0.0732163 W .
2. =
(R1 + R2 ) C

3. = (R1 + R2 ) C correct
R1 + R2
R1 R2 C
R1
5. =
C

012 (part 1 of 2) 10.0 points

4. =

The circuit has been connected as shown in


the figure for a long time.

6. = R1 C

Explanation:
When the switch is in position b, R1 and R2
are now in series so the equivalent resistance is
R = R1 +R2 . By definition, the time constant
is
= R C = (R1 + R2 ) C .

22 F

R1 R2
C
R1 + R2
R2
8. =
C
(R1 + R2 )
9. =
C

7. =

10. = R2 C

76

74

75 V

What is the magnitude of the electric potential across the capacitor?


Correct answer: 28 V.
Explanation:

Let : R1
R2
R3
R4
C

011 (part 3 of 3) 10.0 points


3
At a time after S has been switched to
2
position b, what is the power consumption of
the circuit? Vo = 5 V, C = 4 F, R1 = 7 ,
and R2 = 10 .

= 74 ,
= 76 ,
= 6 ,
= 44 , and
= 22 F = 2.2 105 F .

Correct answer: 0.0732163 W.

R2

R1
a

It
R3
E

It

Explanation:
While the capacitor is discharging, the
magnitude of the current decreases as a function of time as
Vo
et/ .
I(t) =
R1 + R2
Noting that R = R1 + R2 , the power con3
sumed by the circuit at t = is
2
2
P = I (R1 + R2 )

44

R4

Ib

Ib
b

After a long time implies that the capacitor C is fully charged, so it acts as an open

singh (mms3363) HW7-c li (55140)

R2

R1
R3

R4

Ib

Rt = R1 + R2 = 74 + 76 = 150 and
so

EC = E3 E1
= 9 V 37 V = 28 V
|EC | = 28 V .
013 (part 2 of 2) 10.0 points
If the battery is disconnected, how long does
it take for the voltage across the capacitor to
E0
drop to a value of V (t) = , where E0 is the
e
initial voltage across the capacitor?
Correct answer: 1056 s.
Explanation:
With the battery removed, the circuit is

Ir

R4
Ir

Ieq

1
1

Req C = (48 ) (22 F)


= 1056 s .

Since E1 and E3 are measured from the same


point a, the potential across C must be

R2

1
1
+
R Rr

so the time constant is

E3 = Ib R3 = (1.5 A) (6 ) = 9 V .

R1
R3

Req =

1
1
+
=
80 120
= 48 ,

and across R3

and

E1 = It R1 = (0.5 A) (74 ) = 37 V

where
R = R1 + R3 = 74 + 6 = 80 ,
Rr = R2 + R4 = 76 + 44 = 120

Ib

Rb = R3 + R4 = 6 + 44 = 50 ,
E
75 V
It =
=
= 0.5 A and
Rt
150
75 V
E
= 1.5 A .
=
Ib =
Rb
50
Across R1 ,

Req

It

It
a

The
C

circuit with no current flowing to it.


equivalent circuit is

The capacitor discharges according to


Qt
= et/
Q0
V (t)
1
= et/ =
E0
e
 
t
1
= ln
= ln e

e
t = (ln e) = (1056 s) (1)
= 1056 s .

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