Question

two capacitors (a and b) hold the same amount of charge, but capacitor a can do so while held at a higher voltage than capacitor b. which capacitor has the largest capacitance?

Answer 1

Capacitor B has the larger capacitance because it holds the same charge as capacitor A but at a lower voltage.

Step-by-step explanation:

If two capacitors, named A and B, are holding the same amount of charge, but capacitor A is held at a higher voltage than capacitor B, this implies that capacitor B must have a larger capacitance. Recall the relationship between charge (Q), capacitance (C), and voltage (V), which is given by Q = C × V. It follows that if capacitor A is at a higher voltage for the same charge, capacitor B must compensate with a higher capacitance to have the same amount of charge at a lower voltage.

The basic idea is that capacitance is a measure of a capacitor's ability to store charge per unit voltage. Larger capacitance means more charge storage capability at a given voltage. Therefore, since both capacitors have the same charge but capacitor B is at a lower voltage, it must have a larger capacitance to store that charge.