Exam-style question
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What is the relationship between the energy stored in a capacitor and the area under the charge-potential graph?.
- A.Energy is equal to the area under the graph
- B.Energy is half the area under the graph
- C.Energy is double the area under the graph
- D.Energy is unrelated to the area under the graph
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Energy is half the area under the graph
Explanation
Why this works
The energy stored in a capacitor is represented by the area under the charge-potential graph, which forms a triangle. The formula for the area of a triangle is 1/2 × base × height, indicating that the energy stored is half the area under the graph.
The key difference is that while the area represents total charge and potential difference, the energy stored specifically relates to half of that area due to the triangular shape of the graph.
Common mistake
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