ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item RG206001: When a battery is connected to a capacitor in a closed circuit, chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor.
A battery is connected to a capacitor in a closed circuit. A capacitor is a device that is composed of two large conductive plates separated by a nonconductive insulating layer. When the battery is connected to the capacitor, a chemical reaction occurs in the battery that causes one of the plates in the capacitor to acquire a negative charge and the other an equal amount of positive charge. Which of the following describes how energy changes while the capacitor is being charged by the battery?
- Matter inside the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor.
- Matter inside the battery is converted into kinetic energy (motion energy) in the capacitor.
- Chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor.
- Chemical energy in the battery is converted into kinetic energy (motion energy) in the capacitor.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 3858 |
4–5 n = 0 | 6–8 n = 2056 |
9–12 n = 1802 |
Male n = 1828 |
Female n = 1943 |
English n = 3451 |
Other n = 306 |
||
| A. | Matter inside the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor. | 20% | N/A | 22% | 18% | 21% | 18% | 20% | 21% |
| B. | Matter inside the battery is converted into kinetic energy (motion energy) in the capacitor. | 21% | N/A | 22% | 21% | 19% | 23% | 21% | 26% |
| C. | Chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor. | 41% | N/A | 38% | 44% | 43% | 40% | 42% | 36% |
| D. | Chemical energy in the battery is converted into kinetic energy (motion energy) in the capacitor. | 18% | N/A | 18% | 17% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 17% |