Question

How does the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor change with the geometry of the capacitor?

Answer 1

Sample Response: Capacitance is directly proportional to the area of the plates and inversely proportional to the distance between them. Capacitance increases as the area of the plates increases or as the distance between them decreases.

Answer 2

The capacitance of a parallel capacitor depends on its geometrical properties.

1. The area of overlap. The capacitance increases with the area of overlap between the two plates. For this reason the bigger the capacitor the more charge it can store.

2. The distance between the plates. when the distance between the plates is increased the capacitance decreases.

3. The dielectric used. Dielectric is the material between the plates. It should be an insulator for maximum capacitance.