Question

When the switch is opened, the capacitor will remain charged. The time the capacitor remains charged depends on the rate of internal leakage in the capacitor. Capacitors that have a high internal resistance and therefore, low leakage, will remain charged for a longer period of time than a capacitor with low internal resistance and high leakage.

Which of the following statements about capacitor charging and internal leakage is true?

Option 1: Capacitors with high internal resistance have longer charge retention.
Option 2: Capacitors with low internal resistance have longer charge retention.
Option 3: Internal leakage has no effect on the charge retention of a capacitor.
Option 4: The rate of internal leakage is unrelated to the time a capacitor remains charged.

Answer 1

Capacitors with high internal resistance have longer charge retention.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is true about capacitor charging and internal leakage is Option 1: Capacitors with high internal resistance have longer charge retention.

When a switch is opened, the capacitor will remain charged. The time the capacitor remains charged depends on the rate of internal leakage in the capacitor. Capacitors with high internal resistance have lower leakage, so they retain charge for a longer period of time compared to capacitors with low internal resistance and high leakage.

This is because higher internal resistance means less current can flow through the capacitor, which reduces the rate of discharge.