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Electrostatics appeared 79 times across 3 years — 9.1% of Physics. This question is from Capacitance.

Year 2026 2025 2024 Total
Questions 24 39 16 79

The charge stored by the capacitor C in the given circuit in the steady state is ________ .
Capacitance diagram for Q27 - JEE Main 2026 Evening
Circuit diagram showing a 5 microfarad capacitor connected in parallel with branches containing resistors and diodes.

Solution & Explanation

Related Formula

Q = C Vc where Vc is the steady-state voltage across the capacitor.

Core Logic

In steady state, the capacitor acts as an open circuit (blocks DC current). We must analyze the active branches.

Solution diagram for Q27 - JEE Main 2026 Evening
Circuit diagram showing a 5 microfarad capacitor connected in parallel with branches containing resistors and diodes.

The branch with the reversed-biased diode will carry no current. Current flows through the outer loop via the forward-biased diode. Total active resistance Req = 1 Ω + 4 Ω = 5 Ω.

Current in the steady state:

i = VReq = (2.5)/(5) = 0.5 A
Step 1: Voltage Calculation

The voltage across the capacitor Vc is equal to the voltage drop across the 4 Ω resistor, because the branch is connected in parallel.

Vc = i × 4 Ω Vc = 0.5 × 4 = 2 V
Step 2: Final Conclusion

The charge stored is: Q = C Vc

Q = 5 × 2 V = 10
Pattern Recognition

Capacitor in steady-state DC = open wire. Analyze only the paths where current can physically flow, check diode polarity, find nodal voltage across the capacitor terminals, apply Q=CV.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Physics: Electrostatics Class 12 Physics: Current Electricity Class 12 Physics: Semiconductor Electronics

Reference Study Guides

More Electrostatics Previous-Year Questions — Page 2

Q42 jee_main_2026_22_january_morning Electric Potential and Field
Electric field in a region is given by E = Ax i + By j, where A = 10~V / m² and B = 5~V / m². If the electric potential at a point (10, 20) is 500~V, then the electric potential at origin is \_\_\_\_ V.
  • A. 1000
  • B. 500
  • C. 2000
  • D. 0

Solution

Related Formula
V₂ - V₁ = -∫ E · d r
Core Logic

Using potential difference relation:

500 - V₀ = -∫(0,0)(10,20) (10x i + 5y j) · (dx i + dy j) 500 - V₀ = -[5x² + (5y²)/(2)](0,0)(10,20) V₀ - 500 = 500 + 1000 V₀ = 2000 V
Pattern Recognition

Sees: Electric field vector function given, find potential at origin. Shortcut: Integrate line integral of electric field from origin to given point. Check: Matches option (3). ✓

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Physics: Electrostatics

Q43 jee_main_2026_22_january_morning Charged Pendulum in Electric Field
A simple pendulum has a bob with mass m and charge q. The pendulum string has negligible mass. When a uniform and horizontal electric field E is applied, the tension in the string changes. The final tension in the string, when pendulum attains an equilibrium position is \_\_\_\_. (g : acceleration due to gravity)
  • A. mg - qE
  • B. mg + qE
  • C. √(m²g² + q²E²)
  • D. √(m²g² - q²E²)

Solution

Related Formula
T = √((qE)² + (mg)²)
Core Logic

Solution pendulum diagram for Q43 - JEE Main 2026 Morning
Solution pendulum diagram for Q43 - JEE Main 2026 Morning

At equilibrium, the effective forces acting on the bob are vertical gravitational force mg and horizontal electric force qE. The string tension balances the resultant of these orthogonal forces:

T = √((qE)² + (mg)²)
Pattern Recognition

Sees: Charged pendulum in horizontal electric field. Shortcut: Combine orthogonal forces (mg downwards and qE horizontally) via Pythagorean vector addition. Check: Matches option (3). ✓

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Physics: Electrostatics

Q30 jee_main_2026_22_january_evening Electric Potential of Coalescing Bubbles
Three small identical bubbles of water having same charge on each coalesce to form a bigger bubble. Then the ratio of the potentials on one initial bubble and that on the resultant bigger bubble is :
  • A. 1:31/3
  • B. 1:22/3
  • C. 32/3:1
  • D. 1:32/3

Solution

Related Formula
V = (kq)/(r) Volume Conservation: N · ((4)/(3)π r³) = (4)/(3)π R³
Core Logic

From volume conservation of 3 coalescing droplets:

3 ((4)/(3)π r³) = (4)/(3)π R³ R = 31/3r

Total charge on resultant bigger bubble Q = 3q.

Calculating initial potential Vᵢ and final potential Vf:

Vᵢ = (kq)/(r) Vf = (k(3q))/(R) = 3kq31/3r = 32/3 (kq)/(r)

Ratio of initial to final potential:

(Vᵢ)/(Vf) = 132/3 = 1 : 32/3

Coalescing charged bubbles diagram for Q30 - JEE Main 2026 Evening
Coalescing charged bubbles diagram for Q30 - JEE Main 2026 Evening

Step 1: Final Conclusion

The ratio of potentials is 1 : 32/3.

Pattern Recognition

Coalescing droplets rule: For N identical drops, R = N1/3r and Q = Nq. Potential ratio Vᵢ / Vf = 1 / N2/3. For N=3, ratio is 1 / 32/3.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Physics: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

Q42 jee_main_2026_22_january_evening Electric Field and Potential of Polygon of Charges
Five positive charges each having charge q are placed at the vertices of a pentagon as shown in the figure. The electric potential (V) and the electric field (E) at the center O of the pentagon due to these five positive charges are :
Regular pentagon charged vertices diagram for Q42 - JEE Main 2026 Evening
The figure illustrates a regular pentagon with five equal positive charges q placed at each vertex at distance r from center O.
  • A. V = (5q)/(4πε₀r) and E = 0
  • B. V = 5q4πε₀r and E = 5√(3)q8πε₀r² r
  • C. V = (5q)/(4πε₀r) and E = (5q)/(4πε₀r²) r
  • D. V = 0 and E = 0

Solution

Related Formula
V = Σ (k qᵢ)/(r) Ecenter = Σ Eᵢ = 0 (Symmetric Polygon)
Core Logic

Due to spatial symmetry of identical charges at the 5 vertices of a regular pentagon, vector sum of electric fields at center O cancels out:

E = 0

Electric potential is a scalar sum:

V = 5 × ((q)/(4πε₀ r)) = (5q)/(4πε₀ r)
Step 1: Final Conclusion

Option (1) gives the correct values V = (5q)/(4πε₀r) and E = 0.

Pattern Recognition

Symmetry rule: Identical charges at vertices of any regular polygon Ecenter = 0. Potential is scalar addition V = N (kq)/(r).

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Physics: Electrostatics

Q48 jee_main_2026_22_january_evening Sharing of Charges between Capacitors
A capacitor P with capacitance 10 × 10⁻⁶ F is fully charged with a potential difference of 6.0 V and disconnected from the battery. The charged capacitor P is connected across another capacitor Q with capacitance 20 × 10⁻⁶ F. The charge on capacitor Q when equilibrium is established will be α × 10⁻⁵ C (assume capacitor Q does not have any charge initially), the value of α is ____.
Numerical Answer. Answer: 4 to 4

Solution

Related Formula
Vcommon = (C₁ V₁ + C₂ V₂)/(C₁ + C₂) Q₂ = C₂ Vcommon
Core Logic

Given C₁ = 10 × 10⁻⁶ ~F, V₁ = 6.0 ~V and C₂ = 20 × 10⁻⁶ ~F, V₂ = 0 ~V:

Vcommon = 10⁻⁵ × 6 + 010⁻⁵ + 2 × 10⁻⁵ = 6 × 10⁻⁵3 × 10⁻⁵ = 2 ~V

Calculating final charge on capacitor Q (C₂):

Q₂ = C₂ Vcommon = (20 × 10⁻⁶ ~F) × 2 ~V = 40 × 10⁻⁶ ~C = 4 × 10⁻⁵ ~C

Comparing with α × 10⁻⁵ ~C α = 4.

Step 1: Final Conclusion

The value of α is 4.

Pattern Recognition

Charge distribution rule: Total initial charge Qtotal = C₁ V₁ = 60. Final charge splits in proportion to capacitance ratio C₂ / (C₁+C₂) = 2/3. Q₂ = (2/3) × 60 = 40 = 4 × 10⁻⁵~C.

Chapter Mix

Class 12 Physics: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

More Electrostatics Questions — jee_main_2026_21_jan_evening

Practice all Electrostatics previous-year questions →

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JEE Physics: Waves (+15.5%) | Electrostatics: Concentric Shells (-29.7%) | Modern Physics: Photoelectric Clones (+34.2%) | Mathematics: Definite Integrals (+18.1%) | Chemistry: Coordination Splitting (-11.4%) | JEE Physics: Waves (+15.5%) | Electrostatics: Concentric Shells (-29.7%) | Modern Physics: Photoelectric Clones (+34.2%) | Mathematics: Definite Integrals (+18.1%) | Chemistry: Coordination Splitting (-11.4%)