Charging and discharging of capacitors

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of charging and discharging of capacitors, particularly focusing on the behavior of isolated conductors and the interactions between charged capacitors and conductors. Participants explore definitions and implications of charge distribution in these contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Exploratory

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants question the meaning of "isolated" in relation to charge and whether it implies being uncharged. They also discuss the behavior of charges when a negatively charged conductor is brought near a positively charged capacitor, raising questions about charge conservation and movement.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing clarifications on the definitions of isolated conductors and capacitors. Some guidance has been offered regarding the movement of charges in relation to connections with batteries and capacitors, but multiple interpretations of charge behavior are still being explored.

Contextual Notes

There are ongoing questions about the assumptions surrounding the charge states of conductors and capacitors, as well as the conditions under which charges can move between them. The nature of the capacitor's charge distribution is also under examination.

thereddevils
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The questions says an isolated conductor has charge Q ...

is isolated the same as uncharged ? If so , how can it have charge Q ?

Also , if an earthed conductor is brought near a positively charged capacitor , some of the negative charges will move to the +ve charged capacitor and vice versa , so would the charge still remain constant ? Or the amount of charge that leave the capacitor equal the amount that came in ?
 
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Isolated means that the conductor is not connected to anything.

A capacitor usually has two plates, with equal and opposite charges. What do you mean on positively charged capacitor?

Charges can move to one body to an other one if there is some conducting contact between the objects. ehild
 
ehild said:
Isolated means that the conductor is not connected to anything.

A capacitor usually has two plates, with equal and opposite charges. What do you mean on positively charged capacitor?

Charges can move to one body to an other one if there is some conducting contact between the objects.


ehild

could it be that the positively charged capacitor have positive charges on both plates ? Then when it is brought near to a negatively charged conductor , the charges will move across each other right ? Then will the amount of charges on the capacitor the same now ?
 
The charges can not jump to one plate of a capacitor onto the other one. ehild
 
ehild said:
The charges can not jump to one plate of a capacitor onto the other one.


ehild

what if it is connected to a battery ? I thought the battery would pump the charges around .
 
No, the charges can move only in the wires which connect one pole of the battery to one plate of the capacitor.

ehild
 
ehild said:
No, the charges can move only in the wires which connect one pole of the battery to one plate of the capacitor.

ehild

oh , so the charges can only move to the other side of the plate through the battery ?
 
thereddevils said:
oh , so the charges can only move to the other side of the plate through the battery ?

Yes.
 

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