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QPage 164: Q7: HC Verma: Concepts of Physics - Volume 2 Capacitors Page 164: Q7 Solution: A parallel-plate capacitor has plates of unequal area. The…

⚠️ Common Exam Traps & Conceptual Pitfalls

Students often assume the larger plate must carry more total charge because its area is bigger, confusing surface charge density with total charge. In a parallel‑plate capacitor the facing surfaces acquire equal magnitude and opposite charges ($|Q_+|=|Q_-|$); the plate area only changes the capacitance, not the charge balance.

A parallel-plate capacitor has plates of unequal area. The larger plate is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and the smaller plate to its negative terminal. Let

Q_+

and

Q_-

be the charges appearing on the positive and negative plates respectively.

Multiple Choice Options

A $Q_+ > Q_-$
B $Q_+ = Q_-$
C $Q_+ < Q_-$
D The information is not sufficient to decide the relation between $Q_+$ and $Q_-$ .

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** (b) Q_ = Q_. **Step-by-Step Explanation:** The charges on the facing surfaces are equal and opposite regardless of plate area.

All Questions in this Chapter

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