- #1
Terocamo
- 47
- 0
It was told many times by my teacher that a disconnected metal plate and an earthed metal plate, forming a capacitor, will have the same charge regardless their seperation.
I understand how the charge of the disconnected metal play remains unchanged, but I don't really understand how the earthed plate has it's charge unchanged when it is moved.
Let me illustrate withe an example. If you put the earthed plate A at a distance of 1cm from the disconnected plate B, which possesses constant positive charge.
When plate A move to B, say reducing the distance to 0.5cm, plate A will experience a greater potential due to B. However, it is earthed, so it must have zero potential, and it will draw electrons from the ground to cancel out the extra potential.
And isn't plate A gaining charge then?
I understand how the charge of the disconnected metal play remains unchanged, but I don't really understand how the earthed plate has it's charge unchanged when it is moved.
Let me illustrate withe an example. If you put the earthed plate A at a distance of 1cm from the disconnected plate B, which possesses constant positive charge.
When plate A move to B, say reducing the distance to 0.5cm, plate A will experience a greater potential due to B. However, it is earthed, so it must have zero potential, and it will draw electrons from the ground to cancel out the extra potential.
And isn't plate A gaining charge then?