Charge on Capacitor: Equal Charge Explained

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When a capacitor is connected to a battery, equal but opposite charges develop on its plates to create an electric field that cancels the battery's field. The discussion explores a scenario with four plates, where two are connected to a battery and the other two are linked by a conducting wire. It questions whether the charge distribution would be Q, -Q, Q, -Q, and seeks to understand this through the uniqueness theorem for electric fields. The consensus indicates that charge stops at the plates, forming the expected distribution due to the open circuit nature of the capacitor. The conversation highlights the importance of electric field principles in understanding charge behavior in capacitors.
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why is there equal charge on both the capacitor when one end of one and the other end the other is connected to a battery
 
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pardesi said:
why is there equal charge on both the capacitor when one end of one and the other end the other is connected to a battery

I don't understand what you're trying to ask. Please reword.
 
hes asking why equal but opposite charges develop on opposite sides of a parellel plate capacitor and the answer is because they have to setup an E field that cancels out the field of the battery
 
well here i am not using any speciality of the 'capacitor'...i just use 4 plates connect two of them to a battery and place two of the other after connecting them by a perfectly conducting wire in between the two plates...will the charge distribution be Q,-Q,Q,-Q respectively ...if yes why


i am trying to proceed on the lines of uniqueness theorem for electric fields...
 
i told you why, because charge travels down a potential gradient and since a cap is an open circuit it will stop at the plate and create a field.
 
pardesi said:
well here i am not using any speciality of the 'capacitor'...i just use 4 plates connect two of them to a battery and place two of the other after connecting them by a perfectly conducting wire in between the two plates...will the charge distribution be Q,-Q,Q,-Q respectively ...if yes whyi am trying to proceed on the lines of uniqueness theorem for electric fields...

This is a very interesting question. You will find this discussion of interest:
http://www.usna.edu/Users/physics/mungan/Scholarship/Capacitors.html
 
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hey thanks for that wonderfuls site.
i got a proof on the line that the there is no charge deposition on the wire and assuming steady state
 

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