Question

When 2 neutral metal plates are connected to a voltage source, what happens?

1) The plates become positively charged
2) The plates become negatively charged
3) The plates remain neutral
4) The plates become magnetized

Answer 1

When 2 neutral metal plates are connected to a voltage source, the plates become charged. If the positive terminal of the voltage source is connected to one plate and the negative terminal to the other, one plate becomes positively charged and the other becomes negatively charged.

Step-by-step explanation:

When 2 neutral metal plates are connected to a voltage source, the plates become charged but the charge depends on the type of voltage source connected to the plates. If the positive terminal of the voltage source is connected to one plate and the negative terminal to the other, the plate connected to the positive terminal becomes positively charged and the plate connected to the negative terminal becomes negatively charged. This happens because the electrons in the metal plates are attracted to the positive terminal and repelled by the negative terminal, resulting in a separation of charge across the plates.