Exam-style question
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A charge-potential graph shows a linear relationship between charge (Q) and potential difference (V) for a capacitor. What does this indicate about the capacitance of the capacitor?.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The linear relationship indicates that the capacitance (C) is constant, as capacitance is defined as the ratio of charge stored to potential difference (C = Q/V).
- This means that for every increase in potential difference, the charge stored increases proportionally.
Explanation
Why this works
The evidence of a linear relationship in the charge-potential graph shows that the capacitor behaves according to the definition of capacitance. This implies that the capacitor can store charge efficiently at varying potential differences, leading to the conclusion that the capacitance remains constant throughout the range of applied voltages.
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