| Q: | Which of the following holds true for the energy stored in a charged capacitor?
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| A | | It is independent of the capacitance of the capacitor. |
| B | | It is independent of the charge stored in the capacitor. |
| C | | It is equivalent to the ratio of the charge stored on the capacitor and the voltage across the capacitor. |
| D | | It can be calculated as half of the product of charge and voltage of the capacitor. |
The correct answer is D. Here, we need to recall the equation for energy stored on a capacitor, which is U = 1/2 (Q)(V). However, we can eliminate answer choices A and B right away, since they are obviously wrong. Energy stored on a capactior defintiely depends on the capacitance of the capacitor. Capacitance determines Q, the charge stored in the capacitor. C can be tempting, but is missing the important 1/2 from the equation.