Question

Suppose that a parallel plate capacitor has rectangular plates (area A), but the plates are not exactly parallel. What effect does this have on the capacitance?

a) Decreases capacitance
b) Increases capacitance
c) No effect on capacitance
d) Insufficient information

Answer 1

When the plates of a parallel plate capacitor are not parallel, it can decrease the capacitance.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the plates of a parallel plate capacitor are not exactly parallel, it has an effect on the capacitance. When the plates of a parallel plate capacitor are not parallel, it can decrease the capacitance. The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is directly proportional to the area of the plates and inversely proportional to the distance between them.

So, if the plates are not parallel, it can change the effective area and distance between the plates, resulting in a change in capacitance. When the plates of a parallel plate capacitor are not parallel, it can decrease the capacitance. Therefore, the correct answer is a) Decreases capacitance.