A parallel plate capacitor has its plates horizontal with air occupyin...
1. Given Parameters:
- Voltage (V) applied to the capacitor
- Initial separation between plates (d₁)
- Final separation between plates in equilibrium (d₂)
- Mass of the lower plate (m)
- Cross-sectional area of each plate (A)
2. Initial Situation:
- Initially, the lower plate is at a distance d₁ from the upper plate.
- The lower plate is connected to a spring, which will exert a force on it.
- The capacitor is connected to an electric source, creating an electric field between the plates.
- The electric field will create a force on the lower plate, causing it to move.
3. Equilibrium Situation:
- In equilibrium, the forces due to the electric field and the spring will balance out.
- The force due to the electric field is given by F₁ = Q * E, where Q is the charge on the plates and E is the electric field strength.
- The force due to the spring is given by F₂ = k * (d₂ - d₁), where k is the spring constant.
- Setting F₁ = F₂, we can calculate the value of d₂ in equilibrium.
4. Calculations:
- The charge on the plates can be calculated using Q = C * V, where C is the capacitance of the capacitor.
- The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is given by C = ε₀ * A / d, where ε₀ is the permittivity of free space.
- Substituting the values, we can calculate the charge on the plates and then determine the value of d₂.
5. Final Answer:
- By solving the equations for forces in equilibrium, we can find the final separation between the plates (d₂) when the system reaches stability under the applied voltage.
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