Final answer:
A capacitor's storage capacity for electrical energy is directly proportional to its plate area and inversely proportional to the distance between the plates. Capacitance is also affected by the dielectric volume and the applied voltage is limited by the dielectric strength.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of electrical energy a capacitor can store is directly related to the size of the capacitor plates (area A) and is inversely proportional to the distance (d) between the plates. The capacitance (C) of a parallel plate capacitor is determined by the equation C = ε₀(A/d), where ε₀ is the permittivity of free space. The larger the surface area A, the greater the capacitance because more charge can be stored. Conversely, the closer the plates are to each other, the greater the capacitance—the electrostatic attraction between opposite charges on the plates is stronger, allowing more charge to be stored for a given voltage V.
Additionally, the maximum energy a parallel plate capacitor can store is also directly proportional to the volume of dielectric, which includes the area A and distance d as factors. The applied voltage has a limit, however, set by the dielectric strength of the material between the plates.