Why Is There a '2' in the Capacitor Force Equation?

[AgPIper]

A parallel plate capacitor has charge Q and plates of area A. What force acts on one plate to attract it toward the other plate?

It's F = Q^2 / (2*8.854e-12*A) ... something to do with the electric field divided in 2? Wondering why there's a 2 in the denominator... thanks :)

 

[Doc Al]

To find the force that one plate exerts on the other, first find the field created by the charge on that plate. That's where the 2 will come in.

 

[M98Ranger]

The force acting on one plate of a parallel plate capacitor is known as the electrostatic force and it is given by the formula F = Q^2 / (2*8.854e-12*A). This force is responsible for attracting the plates towards each other. The 2 in the denominator represents the distance between the plates, which is divided by 2 in the formula. This is because the electric field between the plates is divided in half due to the fact that the electric field lines originate from one plate and terminate on the other plate. Therefore, the strength of the electric field is also divided by 2, resulting in the 2 in the denominator. I hope this helps to clarify any confusion.