- #1
mattbeatlefreak
- 34
- 2
Homework Statement
You want to maintain a potential difference of 5000 V between the plates of a parallel-plate capacitor.
What is the minimum value of the plate separation if the space between the plates is completely filled by a slab of mica?
Homework Equations
V=Ed (parallel plate capacitor)
Dielectric constant κ = 5 for mica
κ=V0/Vd
E=σ/ε0
The Attempt at a Solution
I know that the voltage of the capacitor needs to stay constant, so since the voltage decreases by a factor of five, the distance must increase by a factor of five. However, the dielectric also lowers the field. Whenever I try to approach the problem, I end up getting stuck because I do not know the charge density or any charge values.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!