Rankers Physics
Topic: Capacitors
Subtopic: Capacitor With Dielectrics

Two identical parallel plate capacitors A and B are connected in series with a battery of 100 V. A slab of dielectric constant K = 3 is inserted between the plates of capacitor A. Then, the potential difference across the capacitors will be, respectively:
25 V, 75 V
75 V, 25 V
20 V, 80 V
50 V, 50 V

Solution:

Here’s a shorter solution:

Given:


  • V=100VV = 100 \, \text{V}
     

    (total battery voltage)

  • Dielectric constant
    K=3K = 3
     

    for capacitor AA 

  • Identical capacitors
    AA
     

    and BB 

Step 1: Capacitance


  • CA=3C0C_A = 3C_0
     

    (because of the dielectric in AA 

    )


  • CB=C0C_B = C_0
     

    (no dielectric in BB 

    )

Step 2: Total capacitance in series:

 

1Ceq=1CA+1CB=13C0+1C0=43C0\frac{1}{C_{\text{eq}}} = \frac{1}{C_A} + \frac{1}{C_B} = \frac{1}{3C_0} + \frac{1}{C_0} = \frac{4}{3C_0}

 

Ceq=3C04C_{\text{eq}} = \frac{3C_0}{4}

 

Step 3: Voltage division:

The voltage is divided in proportion to the inverse of capacitances:

 

VA=CBCA+CB×100=C03C0+C0×100=14×100=25VV_A = \frac{C_B}{C_A + C_B} \times 100 = \frac{C_0}{3C_0 + C_0} \times 100 = \frac{1}{4} \times 100 = 25 \, \text{V}

 

VB=10025=75VV_B = 100 - 25 = 75 \, \text{V}

 

Final Answer:


  • VA=25VV_A = 25 \, \text{V}
     

  • VB=75VV_B = 75 \, \text{V}
     

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