Disconnected vs Connected parallel plate capacitor

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 2K views
plindle
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I am having a hard time understanding the whole idea behind and the difference between disconnected vs connected parallel plate capacitor in terms of voltage and charge. How does this relate to the formula C(Q/V)=ke0A/d?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
plindle said:
I am having a hard time understanding the whole idea behind and the difference between disconnected vs connected parallel plate capacitor in terms of voltage and charge. How does this relate to the formula C(Q/V)=ke0A/d?
The words alone don't have an unique message. What you (and we) would need is a circuit diagram of the two states you want to discuss.
What is certain is that, when a Capacitor is connected across a Voltage source (battery etc.) the PD across it is determined by the source volts. If the capacitor is being charged via a Resistor, the PD is determined by the (perhaps instantaneous) charge on the capacitor.
The Capacitance is determined by the dimensions of the capacitor (and stays the same) and the Charge will be CV, whatever V happens to be across it.