Physics Electrostatics MDCAT 2016
PMDC Verified Question 118 of 131
Q.89 If the length, width and separation between the plates of a parallel plate capacitor is doubled then its capacitance becomes
A
Double
B
Half
C
Four time
D
Eight time
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option A: Double
1. Concept:

Capacitance scales with plate area and is inversely proportional to plate separation. The area of rectangular plates is Length \( \times \) Width.

2. Formula:

$$ C = \frac{\epsilon_0 A}{d} = \frac{\epsilon_0 (L \times W)}{d} $$

3. Solution:

  • If length \( L \) and width \( W \) are doubled, the new area becomes \( A' = (2L) \times (2W) = 4(LW) = 4A \).


  • The separation \( d \) is also doubled, so \( d' = 2d \).


  • Substitute these into the formula: \( C' = \frac{\epsilon_0 (4A)}{2d} = 2 \left(\frac{\epsilon_0 A}{d}\right) = 2C \).


  • The net result is a doubled capacitance.


4. Why other options are incorrect:

Option C assumes only area changed. Option D incorrectly multiplies the factors instead of balancing the numerator and denominator.

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

Want to solve full-length papers under timed exam conditions?

Practice with zero-scroll lockdown sprints, dynamic latency zone timers, live peer selection telemetry, and the automated Amber mistake recovery loop.