A 10 μF capacitor is charged to a potential difference of 200 V. Calculate the total electrostatic energy stored in the capacitor.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 0.20 J

  1. Step 1: Energy stored formula: E = 0.5 C V². Step 2. Substitute values: E = 0.5 × (10 × 10⁻⁶) × 200² = 0.5 × 10⁻⁵ × 40,000 = 0.20 J. Answer: 0.20 J. Why not the others: 0.40 J forgets the 0.5 factor (C V²); 0.10 J halves the result; 2.00 J is an arithmetic error.

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