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QPages 328-329: Q8: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Alternating Current Pages 328-329: Q8 Solution: When an AC source is connected to a capacitor, there is a…

⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls

Students often equate AC current with literal charge carriers crossing the dielectric, overlooking that the current is carried by the time‑varying electric field (displacement current). Emphasize that only the plates exchange charge with the source; no electrons traverse the gap.

When an AC source is connected to a capacitor, there is a steady-state current in the circuit. Does it mean that the charges jump from one plate to the other to complete the circuit?

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** No. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** The charges do not jump across the gap. The AC source alternately charges and discharges the capacitor plates. The changing electric field between the plates constitutes a displacement current, which completes the circuit in a Maxwellian sense, but no physical charge carriers cross the dielectric gap [citation:1][citation:14][citation:16].

All Questions in this Chapter

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