What happens to the capacity of a condenser as the distance between the plates decreases?

The correct answer is that the capacity increases as the distance between the plates of a condenser decreases. This phenomenon can be explained through the principles of electrostatics and capacitance.

Capacitance, which is the ability of a capacitor to store electrical energy, is defined mathematically by the formula:

[ C = \frac{εA}{d} ]

where:

• ( C ) is the capacitance,

• ( ε ) is the permittivity of the dielectric material between the plates,

• ( A ) is the area of one of the plates,

• ( d ) is the distance between the plates.

From this formula, it is clear that capacitance is inversely proportional to the distance between the plates (( d )). As the distance ( d ) decreases, the capacitance ( C ) correspondingly increases, assuming the area of the plates ( A ) and the dielectric constant ( ε ) remain constant.

This means that when the plates are brought closer together, the electric field strength between them increases, allowing the capacitor to store more charge for a given voltage. This relationship illustrates how the geometry of a capacitor directly affects its performance in electrical circuits.