Module 03.

Electrical Fundamentals
09. Capacitance/capacitor.

1. A capacitor is fully charged after 25 seconds to a battery voltage of 20 Volts. The battery is replaced with a short
circuit. What will be the voltage across the capacitor after one time constant?.
Option A. 0 volts.
Option B. 7.36 volts.
Option C. 12.64 volts.
Correct Answer is. 7.36 volts.
Explanation. The capacitor is discharging - so it discharges 63.2% in one time constant - so what is left?.

2. The voltage rating of a capacitor is.

Option A. the max voltage that can be constantly applied.
Option B. the min voltage required to charge.
Option C. the normal operating voltage.
Correct Answer is. the max voltage that can be constantly applied.
Explanation. Exceed the voltage at which the capacitor is rated, and you destroy the capacitor.

3. The relative permittivity of a capacitor is.

Option A. the permittivity of the dielectric.
Option B. the relative permittivity of the dielectric in relation to a vacuum.
Option C. the permittivity of dielectric in relation to dry air.
Correct Answer is. the relative permittivity of the dielectric in relation to a vacuum.
Explanation. 'Relative' means relative to 'free space' (a 'vacuum' in other words).

4. When checking a capacitor with an ohmmeter, if the reading shows charging but the final reading is less than
normal then the possible fault is a.
Option A. leaking dielectric capacitor.
Option B. short circuit dielectric.
Option C. open circuit dielectric.
Correct Answer is. leaking dielectric capacitor.
Explanation. NIL.

5. Three capacitors 10 microfarads, 10 nanofarads and 10 millifarads are connected in parallel. What is the total
capacitance?.
Option A. 10.01001 millifarads.
Option B. 111 millifarads.
Option C. 1.001001 millifarads.
Correct Answer is. 10.01001millifarads.
Explanation. The biggest capacitor of the three is the 10 milliFarad. The other two are fractions of one milliFarad. So the
answer must be 10.**** milliFarad (no sums required).

6. If a 1milliFarad capacitor has a potential difference across it of 5V, what is the energy stored?.
Option A. 12.5 Joules.
Option B. 12.5 milliJoules.
Option C. 25 mJoules.
Correct Answer is. 12.5 mJoules.
Explanation. Energy stored in a capacitor = 1/2 C V-squared (only the V is squared).

7. A capacitor with double the area and double the dielectric thickness will have.
Option A. double the capacitance.
Option B. the same capacitance.
Option C. half the capacitance.
Correct Answer is. the same capacitance.
Explanation. Get the formula for capacitance of a capacitor.

8. An electrolytic capacitor is used where.

Option A. minimum losses are essential.
Option B. there is a polarized input.
Option C. high frequency AC is used.
Correct Answer is. there is a polarized input.
Explanation. Wiring an electrolytic capacitor wrong polarity will destroy it. AC will therefore destroy it. Current must be
DC (i.e. polarised) and the right way.

9. What must you do to make a 3 F capacitor circuit into a 2 F circuit?.

Option A. Put a 2 F capacitor in parallel.
Option B. Put a 6 F capacitor in series.
Option C. Put a 1 F capacitor in series.
Correct Answer is. Put a 6 F capacitor in series.
Explanation. To reduce the capacitance of a circuit you must place a capacitor in series (formula is same as resistors in
parallel). You do the maths to see which one it is.

10. The time required to fully charge a 1 µ(micro)F capacitor in series with a 100k ohm resistor is.
Option A. 100 seconds.
Option B. 100 milliseconds.
Option C. 500 milliseconds.
Correct Answer is. 500 milliseconds.
Explanation. Time-constant (=RC) is 100 ms. Time-constant is time to reach 63.2% of full charge. Time to fully charge =
5 * TC = 500 ms.

11. A 50 μ(micro) Farad capacitor is fed with a current of 25 milliAmpere. How long will it take to charge it to
100Volts?.
Option A. 1 second.
Option B. 0.2 seconds.
Option C. 12 minutes.
Correct Answer is. 1 second.
Explanation. Work out the resistance in the circuit first (R=V/I) (4000 ohms). Then work out the time constant (TC=RC).
Time to charge = 5RC.

12. In a circuit C = 25 microfarads and the current flow is 40 microamps for 4 seconds. What is the voltage?.
Option A. 6.4Volts.
Option B. 3.2Volts.
Option C. 12.8Volts.
Correct Answer is. 6.4Volts.
Explanation. Since Q = VC and Q = It, then VC = It right? So V = It/C. Watch those unit prefixes.

13. Three 12 µ(micro)F capacitors are in series. The total capacitance is.
Option A. 12 µ(micro)F.
Option B. 4 µ(micro)F.
Option C. 36 µ(micro)F.
Correct Answer is. 4 µ(micro)F.
Explanation. Capacitors in series - total capacitance reduces. equal capacitors and total will be 1/3rd of one.

14. The time constant of a capacitor is the time.

Option A. the current to reach 63.2% of maximum.
Option B. for the emf to reach 63.2% of maximum.
Option C. to reach maximum current.
Correct Answer is. for the emf to reach 63.2% of maximum.
Explanation.

15. The amount of electricity a capacitor can store is directly proportional to the.
Option A. plate area and inversely proportional to the distance between the plates.
Option B. distance between the plates and inversely proportional to the plate area.
Option C. plate area and is not affected by the distance between the plates.
Correct Answer is. plate area and is not affected by the distance between the plates. OR plate area and inversely
proportional to the distance between the plates.
Explanation. Get the formula for the capacitance of a capacitor.

16. The capacitance of a capacitor is dependant upon.

Option A. the rate of change of current in the circuit.
Option B. the type of material separating the plates.
Option C. the charge on it.
Correct Answer is. the type of material separating the plates.
Explanation. The capacitance of a capacitor is only dependant upon its physical properties (size and material) and not
what you apply to it.

17. When different rated capacitors are connected in parallel in a circuit, the total capacitance is.
Option A. less than the capacitance of the lowest rated capacitor.
Option B. equal to the capacitance of the highest rated capacitor.
Option C. equal to the sum of all the capacitances.
Correct Answer is. equal to the sum of all the capacitances.
Explanation. Get the formula for capacitors in parallel (it is like resistors in series).

18. One Picofarad is.

Option A. 1 * 1012 farad.
Option B. 1 * 10-6 farad.
Option C. 1 * 10-12 farad.
Correct Answer is. 1 * 10-12 farad.
Explanation. NIL.

19. The switch on a DC circuit containing a fully charged capacitor is opened. The voltage across the capacitor.
Option A. drops immediately to zero.
Option B. starts to fall exponentially to zero.
Option C. remains equal to the original charging voltage supply.
Correct Answer is. remains equal to the original charging voltage supply.
Explanation. If there is no external circuit, the charge can go nowhere.

20. The current in a DC circuit containing a fully charged capacitor is.

Option A. zero.
Option B. is dependent upon the size of the capacitance of the capacitor.
Option C. maximum.
Correct Answer is. zero.
Explanation. If the capacitor is fully charged, it is equal and opposite to the source voltage, so no current flows.

21. A capacitor is a barrier to.

Option A. both.
Option B. A.C.
Option C. D.C.
Correct Answer is. D.C.
Explanation. NIL.

22. What is the total capacitance of a parallel circuit containing three capacitors with capacitance of 0.25microfarad,
0.03microfarad, and 0.12microfarad, respectively?.
Option A. 0.4 µ(micro)F.
Option B. 0.04 µ(micro)F.
Option C. 0.04 piko Farad.
Correct Answer is. 0.4 µ(micro)F.
Explanation. Capacitors in parallel, the same formula as resistors in series - i.e. just add them all up.

23. When two capacitors are connected in series.

Option A. the charge stored on each is inversely proportional to the voltage across it.
Option B. the charge stored on each is the same.
Option C. the charge stored on each is directly proportional to its capacitance.
Correct Answer is. the charge stored on each is the same.
Explanation. If they were not the same, there would be a current flow between them, until they equalised out.

24. The charge on a capacitor is expressed as.

Option A. the ratio Q/V.
Option B. the product Q * V.
Option C. the product C * V.
Correct Answer is. the product C * V.
Explanation. Remember Q = VC.
25. When handling a high voltage capacitor in an electrical circuit, be sure it.
Option A. has a full charge before removing it from the circuit.
Option B. is fully discharged before removing it from the circuit.
Option C. has at least a residual charge before removing it from the circuit.
Correct Answer is. is fully discharged before removing it from the circuit.
Explanation. Charged capacitors can be lethal, even when charged to say, 1 volt.

26. The dielectric constant of a capacitor is a measurement of.

Option A. the electrical resistance of the capacitor dielectric.
Option B. the electrostatic energy storing capacity of the capacitor dielectric.
Option C. the electrical repulsion of electrons within the dielectric material.
Correct Answer is. the electrostatic energy storing capacity of the capacitor dielectric.
Explanation. NIL.

27. Three 12 microfarad capacitors in parallel. The overall circuit capacitance is.
Option A. 4 microfarads.
Option B. 1 microfarads.
Option C. 36 microfarads.
Correct Answer is. 36 microfarads.
Explanation. Capacitors in parallel - just add them up.

28. A circuit has 1 megohm and 8 microfarads. What is the time constant?.
Option A. 8 seconds.
Option B. 1 second.
Option C. 40 seconds.
Correct Answer is. 8 seconds.
Explanation. Time constant = RC. The mega and the micro cancel.

29. A capacitor rating is.

Option A. the voltage it will charge to.
Option B. the maximum continuous voltage it can take.
Option C. the voltage it will rupture at.
Correct Answer is. the maximum continuous voltage it can take.
Explanation. NIL.

30. The multiplier colour coding on a capacitor is in.

Option A. picofarads.
Option B. farads.
Option C. microfarads.
Correct Answer is. picofarads.
Explanation. NIL.

31. The total capacitance of the circuit shown is.

Option A. 36µ(micro)F.
Option B. 4µ(micro)F.
Option C. 3µ(micro)F.
Correct Answer is. 4µ(micro)F.
Explanation. Total capacitance (of capacitors in series) = 12/3 = 4 microfarads.

32. When a capacitor is charged from a DC supply, the voltage/time curve is.
Option A. logarithmic.
Option B. linear.
Option C. exponential.
Correct Answer is. exponential.
Explanation. NIL.

33. An electrolytic capacitor is used because it has a.

Option A. small physical size for low leakage current.
Option B. large physical size for a large capacity.
Option C. small physical size for a large capacity.
Correct Answer is. small physical size for a large capacity.
Explanation. NIL.

34. An electrolytic capacitor would be used in circuits supplying.

Option A. heavy loads.
Option B. light loads.
Option C. heavy / light loads.
Correct Answer is. heavy / light loads.
Explanation. Electrolytic capacitors are used in circuits of all sizes.

35. A 20 Picofarad capacitor with a 1 Megohm resistor takes how long to charge?.
Option A. 100 microseconds.
Option B. 20 milliseconds.
Option C. 0.1 second.
Correct Answer is. 100 microseconds.
Explanation. Time constant (TC) = RC = 20/1,000,000,000,000 * 1,000,000 = 20/1,000,000 = 20 microseconds. But fully
charged is 5 * TC = 100 microseconds.

36. The discharge curve of a capacitor is.

Option A. Exponential.
Option B. Logarithmic.
Option C. Linear.
Correct Answer is. Exponential.
Explanation. The capacitor discharge curve is an exponential decay, however, the charge curve is logarithmic (the
inverse of exponential).

37. What is the value of a monolithic capacitor with 103 on it?.

Option A. 1000pf.
Option B. 10,000pf.
Option C. 100,000pf.
Correct Answer is. 10,000pf.
Explanation. 103 means 10 followed by 3 zeros. Capacitors are always measured in picofarads.

38. What is the formula for working out the capacitance of a capacitor if K = dielectric constant, A = area of the plates,
d = distance plates apart?.
Option A. c = K*A/d.
Option B. c = d/K*A.
Option C. c = K*d/A.
Correct Answer is. c = K*A/d.
Explanation. C = K*A/d.

39. Total capacitance of 3 capacitors each 12milliFarad in a parallel circuit.

Option A. 36milliFarad.
Option B. 12milliFarad.
Option C. 6mf.
Correct Answer is. 36milliFarad.
Explanation. Total C = = C1 + C2 + C3 (capacitors in parallel).

40. A combination of 1 megohm and 8 microfarad would give a time constant of.
Option A. 40 seconds.
Option B. 400 ms.
Option C. 8 seconds.
Correct Answer is. 8 seconds.
Explanation. 1,000,000 * 8/1,000,000 = 8 seconds. Note: Time Constant is asked for, not 'time to charge'.

41. Generally, what is the voltage across a fully charged capacitor?.

Option A. Less than circuit voltage.
Option B. Same as circuit voltage.
Option C. More than circuit voltage.
Correct Answer is. Same as circuit voltage.
Explanation. The answer to this question depends upon how accurate you want to go. Normal theory is that a fully
charged capacitor has an equal (and opposite) voltage to the supply. However, a capacitor is never fully charged
(something in the order of 99.999999% charged).

42. When would you use an electrolytic capacitor?.

Option A. On a balanced circuit.
Option B. Low output compared to size required.
Option C. Large output compared to size required.
Correct Answer is. Large output compared to size required.
Explanation. NIL.

43. A capacitor has Brown, Black and Orange bands. It's value is.
Option A. 10 picofarads.
Option B. 10 nanofarads.
Option C. 100 picofarads.
Correct Answer is. 10 nanofarads.
Explanation. Brown = 1, Black = 0, Orange = x1000. Total is 10,000 picofarads (always picofarads with capacitors) = 10
nanofarads.

44. Voltage measured between the plates of a capacitor will be generally.

Option A. can dangerously higher than applied voltage.
Option B. the same as applied voltage.
Option C. less than applied voltage.
Correct Answer is. the same as applied voltage.
Explanation. Technically the voltage on a charged capacitor never reaches the applied voltage. It gets to 99.99999%
(and more).

45. Dielectric constant of a capacitor is.

Option A. max V that can be applied to a capacitor.
Option B. electrostatic storing capability of the dielectric.
Option C. max I stored in the capacitor.
Correct Answer is. electrostatic storing capability of the dielectric.
Explanation. The dielectric stores electrical energy.

46. One microfarad is.

Option A. 1 * 10-12 farads.
Option B. 1 * 1012 farads.
Option C. 1 * 10-6 farads.
Correct Answer is. 1 * 10-6 farads.
Explanation. Jepperson, A+P Technician General Handbook, Chapter 1, page 22.

47. A circuit with a capacitor has 6 volts applied to it with a charge of 2400 pico-coulombs. What would the charge be
if the applied voltage was 1.5 volts ?.
Option A. 2400 * 10-12 coulombs.
Option B. 600 * 10-9 coulombs.
Option C. 600 * 10-12 coulombs.
Correct Answer is. 600 * 10-12 coulombs.
Explanation. Q = CV, so direct relationship of charge to voltage. 1.5V is 1/4 of 6V, so charge is 1/4 of 2400
picocoulombs. Note this is more of a question on pico and nano and whether you know the difference.

48. In a capacitor, the dielectric strength is measured in.

Option A. Farads per meter.
Option B. Volts per metre.
Option C. Coulombs per m2.
Correct Answer is. Farads per meter.
Explanation.

49. Three capacitors connected in series, each having a value of 12 picofarads, calculate the total capacitance.
Option A. 36 picofarads.
Option B. 4 picofarads.
Option C. 12 picofarads.
Correct Answer is. 4 picofarads.
Explanation. 12/3 = 4.