Four identical large metal plates, each of area A , are arranged parallel to one another in air. The distance between any two successive plates is d . The first and third plates are connected by a conducting wire, and the second and fourth plates are connected by another conducting wire. The equivalent capacitance of this arrangement between the two sets of connected plates is:

Step-by-step solution

Let the four plates be numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 from top to bottom. Three individual capacitors are formed by the adjacent pairs of plates: between (1, 2), between (2, 3), and between (3, 4). The capacitance of each individual capacitor is C = ₀ A d . Let the first and third plates be connected to terminal X, and the second and fourth plates be connected to terminal Y. The first capacitor (plates 1 and 2) is connected between X and Y. The second capacitor (plates 2 and 3) is connected between Y and X. The third capa