Question

If a neon bulb behaves like a capacitor, what will happen to the pressure difference between the neon bulb's electrodes after the battery is connected?

a: It will increase.
b: It will decrease.
c: It will remain the same.
d: It will fluctuate.

Answer 1

The pressure difference between the neon bulb's electrodes will initially increase, but once the breakdown voltage is reached, ionization occurs, the bulb conducts, and the pressure fluctuates due to the charging and discharging cycles.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a neon bulb behaves like a capacitor and is connected to a battery, the pressure difference between the neon bulb's electrodes will increase initially as electrons accumulate on one electrode and are removed from the other, creating an electric field across the dielectric or the gas in the bulb. However, as the neon bulb behaves like a capacitor, it will only allow the pressure difference to increase up to a certain point known as the breakdown voltage. Once this voltage is reached, the neon gas ionizes, and the bulb will conduct, allowing the accumulated charge to discharge through the bulb. This results in the bulb emitting light and the pressure difference fluctuating due to the periodic charging and discharging cycles, similar to a relaxation oscillator.