Charge on Capacitor: Where Does the Extra Go?

[phantom113]

Homework Statement

If you put more charge on one plate of a parallel-plate capacitor than on the other, where does the extra charge go?

The Attempt at a Solution

Does the extra charge induce the same amount of opposite charge on the near side of the plate and therefore the same amount of same charge on the far side of the opposite plate? Or does the extra charge actually move somewhere?

 

[tiny-tim]

If you put more charge on one plate of a parallel-plate capacitor than on the other, where does the extra charge go?

uhh? charge can't jump the gap, so if you "put" it there, it just stays there

i don't really understand the rest of the question …

what's producing the extra charge? …

what is either plate connected to? …

was that the complete question?

 

[phantom113]

That was the complete question. I figure there is nowhere for it to go so here is what I am thinking: if the initial charge on the top plate was Q and the initial charge on the bottom plate was -Q then after the charge is added the charge on the top plate is Q+S and that induces a charge of +S on the bottom of the bottom plate and a charge of -(Q+S) on the top of the bottom plate. Is that correct?