ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item RG112002: An engineer can increase the electrostatic potential energy of a capacitor by increasing the distance between the two plates.
A capacitor is a device that is used to store an electrostatic charge. It is composed of two large conductive plates separated by a nonconductive insulating layer.
An engineer would like to increase the electrostatic potential energy of a capacitor. Which of the following changes could she make to the capacitor to increase the electrostatic potential energy?
- Increase the distance between the two plates by increasing the thickness of the insulating layer
- Decrease the distance between the two plates by decreasing the thickness of the insulating layer
- The only way to increase the electrostatic potential energy of a capacitor is to replace the insulating layer.
- It is not possible to increase the electrostatic potential energy of a capacitor.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 1538 |
4–5 n = 0 | 6–8 n = 791 |
9–12 n = 747 |
Male n = 738 |
Female n = 771 |
English n = 1389 |
Other n = 109 |
|
| A. | 27% | N/A | 26% | 28% | 28% | 25% | 27% | 30% |
| B. | 42% | N/A | 38% | 47% | 43% | 42% | 43% | 30% |
| C. | 20% | N/A | 23% | 16% | 20% | 20% | 19% | 28% |
| D. | 11% | N/A | 13% | 9% | 9% | 13% | 11% | 12% |