Final answer:
The energy stored in a parallel plate capacitor depends on the electric field, the area of the plates, and the distance between them, and is calculated using the capacitance and potential difference or using the permittivity of free space, electric field strength, area, and distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The energy stored in a parallel plate capacitor can be calculated using the electrical properties of the system.
The electric field E between the plates is given by E = σ/ε0, where σ is the surface charge density, and ε0 is the permittivity of free space, which has the value of 8.85 × 10-12 F/m.
The energy (U) stored in a capacitor is given by the equation U = (1/2)CV2, where C is the capacitance of the capacitor and V is the potential difference between the plates.
The capacitance C of a parallel plate capacitor is given by the equation C = ε0A/d, where A is the area of one plate and d is the distance between the plates.
Knowing the electric field and charge relationship, we can also express the energy stored as U = (1/2)ε0AE2d, which shows the dependency of energy on the area of the plates, the distance between them, and the electric field.