Multiple Choice
What is the voltage of the battery below?
26. Capacitors & Dielectrics
Solving Capacitor Circuits
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What is the charge on the 5 F capacitor? (hint:be careful with series vs parallel)
A
Q5=2.6 C
B
Q5=9.5 C
C
Q5=13.4 C
D
Q5=14.4 C
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the configuration of the capacitors in the circuit. The top three capacitors (2 F, 1 F, and 4 F) are in series, and the bottom two capacitors (3 F and 5 F) are in parallel.
Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the series capacitors. For capacitors in series, the reciprocal of the total capacitance is the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances: 1/C_eq_series = 1/2 + 1/1 + 1/4.
Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the parallel capacitors. For capacitors in parallel, the total capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitances: C_eq_parallel = 3 + 5.
Determine the total equivalent capacitance of the circuit by combining the equivalent series capacitance with the equivalent parallel capacitance. Since the series and parallel groups are in series with each other, use the series formula again: 1/C_total = 1/C_eq_series + 1/C_eq_parallel.
Use the total equivalent capacitance to find the total charge in the circuit using the formula Q = C_total * V, where V is the voltage of the battery (8 V). Then, use the charge distribution rules for series and parallel capacitors to find the charge on the 5 F capacitor.
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