Final answer:
To make a 1.60 pF capacitor using parallel pennies, the pennies would need to be spaced approximately 5.53 times the area of each penny apart.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the separation between parallel pennies to make a 1.60 pF capacitor, we can use the formula for the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor:
Formula:
C = (ε₀A) / d
Where:
- C is the capacitance
- ε₀ is the permittivity of free space (8.85 x 10-12 F/m)
- A is the area of the plates
- d is the separation between the plates (what we want to find)
Substitute the given values into the formula:
1.60 x 10-12 F = (8.85 x 10-12 F/m)(A) / d
Simplify and solve for d:
d = (8.85 x 10-12 F/m)(A) / 1.60 x 10-12 F
d = 5.53125A
Therefore, the parallel pennies would need to be spaced approximately 5.53 times the area of each penny apart in order to create a 1.60 pF capacitor.