MHT CET202615 April 2026Morning ShiftPhysicsCapacitanceActual
The function of a dielectric in a capacitor is to
Options
- Areduce the plate area of the capacitor.
- Bto decrease the capacitance.
- Creduce the effective potential on plates.
- Dincrease the effective potential on plates.
Correct answer
C. reduce the effective potential on plates.
Step-by-step solution
When a dielectric material is introduced between the plates of a capacitor, it gets polarized due to the external electric field. This polarization creates an induced electric field inside the dielectric which opposes the external electric field. As a result, the net electric field between the plates decreases. Since the potential difference is given by V = E d , the effective potential difference between the plates also decreases for a given charge. This reduction in potential difference leads to an increase in th