How energy is stored in the capacitor and inductor?
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Solution
Explanation:
Energy stored in a capacitor:
The electrical field formed between the plates of a charged capacitor stores energy. The electrical field increases as the capacitor charges. A charged capacitor retains its energy in the field between its plates even after being removed from the battery.
The energy, , stored in a capacitor with a capacitance, , and an applied voltage, , then
.
Energy stored in the inductor:
An inductor stores enrgy in magnetic field form when an electric current is flowing through it.
The magnetic field starts to weaken and release energy as the current is gradually reduced, turning the inductor into a current generator.
The equation of magnetic energy, , stored in the inductor can be written as: , where is the current running through the wire, presuming we have an electrical circuit comprising a power source and a solenoid of inductance .