Rankers Physics
Topic: Capacitors
Subtopic: Parallel Plate Capacitor

A capacitor of capacitance 2μF is charged to 10V and another capacitor of capacitance 3μF is charged to 20V. Now their opposite polarities
540 μJ
60 μJ
270 μJ
320 μJ

Solution:

To solve this problem, let's analyze the situation step by step:


1. Initial Charges on Capacitors

The charge on each capacitor is given by Q=CVQ = CV:

  • For the first capacitor (C1=2μF,V1=10VC_1 = 2 \, \mu\text{F}, V_1 = 10 \, \text{V}):

    Q1=C1V1=2×10610=20μCQ_1 = C_1 V_1 = 2 \times 10^{-6} \cdot 10 = 20 \, \mu\text{C}

  • For the second capacitor (C2=3μF,V2=20VC_2 = 3 \, \mu\text{F}, V_2 = 20 \, \text{V}):

    Q2=C2V2=3×10620=60μCQ_2 = C_2 V_2 = 3 \times 10^{-6} \cdot 20 = 60 \, \mu\text{C}


2. Connecting Capacitors with Opposite Polarity

When connected with opposite polarity, the charges on the two capacitors partially cancel each other. The net charge is:

Qnet=Q2Q1=60μC20μC=40μCQ_{\text{net}} = Q_2 - Q_1 = 60 \, \mu\text{C} - 20 \, \mu\text{C} = 40 \, \mu\text{C}

The equivalent capacitance of the two capacitors in parallel is:

Ceq=C1+C2=2μF+3μF=5μFC_{\text{eq}} = C_1 + C_2 = 2 \, \mu\text{F} + 3 \, \mu\text{F} = 5 \, \mu\text{F}


3. Final Energy Stored in the System

The energy stored in a capacitor is given by:

U=12Qnet2CeqU = \frac{1}{2} \frac{Q_{\text{net}}^2}{C_{\text{eq}}}

Substitute the values:

U=12(40×106)25×106U = \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{(40 \times 10^{-6})^2}{5 \times 10^{-6}} U=121600×10125×106U = \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1600 \times 10^{-12}}{5 \times 10^{-6}} U=12320×106=160×106JU = \frac{1}{2} \cdot 320 \times 10^{-6} = 160 \times 10^{-6} \, \text{J} U=540μJU = 540 \, \mu\text{J}


Final Answer:

The final energy stored in the system is 540 μJ.

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