JEE Main · Physics · Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
Parallel Plate Capacitors: JEE Main previous year questions
50 questions in the 108 JEE Main shifts Lumi analysed, in 8 of 8 years. Pattern: Asked most years. 11 came in 2024–26. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.
- Questions
- 50
- in 45 of 108 shifts
- Years asked
- 8/8
- last asked 2026
- Weighted estimate
- 0.4
- model; history: 0.5 a shift on average, typically 0.3–0.6
Key findings
- 01
Asked in 8 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 45 of 108 shifts: 50 questions, #60 of 196 topics. It came in every year with analysed shifts.
- 02
37% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 27 repeated an idea from the year before.
- 03
The most repeated idea is Series and Parallel Combinations, asked 17 times in 17 shifts (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026), most often as “equivalent capacitance of capacitor network”.
- 04
JEE Main has asked 14 of the 59 ideas in this topic; 40 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
- 05
Mostly asked as single correct (52%); 36% need a numerical answer, 40% are easy and 12% hard. It went down from 0.6 to 0.3 questions a shift since 2024.
- 06
The skill tested most is calculation (58%), then multi-step (24%).
Questions a shift, year by year
Out of the 25 Physics questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.
Raw count: 2017: 1 in 1 shift · 2020: 7 in 12 shifts · 2021: 8 in 24 shifts · 2022: 16 in 24 shifts · 2023: 7 in 12 shifts · 2024: 6 in 18 shifts · 2025: 2 in 8 shifts · 2026: 3 in 9 shifts.
- Up to 2023
- 0.6
- a shift, of 25
- Since 2024
- 0.3
- -0.3
- Usual gap
- 1.3 yrs
- between years asking it
- Shifts with it
- 45/108
- 42% of analysed shifts
Revise first
- Series and Parallel Combinations · asked 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
- Charge Sharing and Heat Loss · asked 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Displacement Current Between Plates · asked 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026
How it is asked
Difficulty, format and skill
Across all 50 questions on Parallel Plate Capacitors since 2017.
Difficulty
QUESTIONS- Easy20 · 40%
- Medium24 · 48%
- Hard6 · 12%
Format
SHARE- Single correct · 26 Q52%
- Numerical value · 18 Q36%
- Diagram based · 6 Q12%
Skill tested
SHARE- Calculation · 29 Q58%
- Multi-step · 12 Q24%
- Application · 4 Q8%
- Diagram reading · 2 Q4%
- Conceptual · 2 Q4%
- Data or graph · 1 Q2%
Repeats
New idea, or one asked before?
Each column is a year. Blue questions tested an idea no earlier year had asked; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier year. 2017 is the first year, so everything in it counts as new. Heights are question counts, and Lumi analysed 1 to 24 shifts a year, so compare the split inside a column rather than heights across years.
- Idea asked for the first time
- Idea asked in an earlier year
Coverage of the topic
JEE Main has asked 14 of the 59 ideas in this topic. 40 have never been asked yet.
- Asked directly14 · 24%
- Touched inside another question5 · 8%
- Never asked40 · 68%
Ideas come from Lumi’s JEE syllabus map. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: across all of JEE Main, 22% of questions since 2024 tested an idea no earlier year had asked.
Drill down
Chapter, idea, question
Every idea JEE Main tested in this topic, with its eight years. Open one to read the questions.
13 ideas inside
Squares are the 8 years with analysed shifts, 2017 to 2026. A number is the questions that year when there is more than one; the shade is scaled to one shift, so a year with more analysed shifts (1 to 24 a year) does not look darker. Share is of the level above.
Ideas
Every idea inside this topic
14 different ideas were tested; 6 came more than once.
equivalent capacitance of capacitor network
Numerical value · 17 shifts · 8 numericalcapacitance from charge sharing
Single correct · 12 shifts · 5 numericalrate of change of voltage from displacement current
Single correct · 7 shifts · 3 numericalrate of change of capacitor energy with moving plate
Single correct · 2 shiftscapacitance ratio with metal sheet inserted
Single correct · 2 shiftscapacitance with partial dielectric slab
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 1 numericalpotential difference of plates with unequal charges
Single correct · 1 shiftenergy ratio after dielectric insertion with key opened
Diagram based · 1 shiftdielectric constant from breakdown charge
Single correct · 1 shiftpotential of foil between two dielectric layers
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalgraph interpretation of potential vs charge
Diagram based · 1 shiftcapacitance with position-dependent permittivity
Single correct · 1 shiftcapacitance of slightly tilted plates
Diagram based · 1 shiftminimum capacitors for voltage rating
Single correct · 1 shift
| Idea | Years asked | Times | Shifts | Format | Numerical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series and Parallel Combinationsequivalent capacitance of capacitor network | 17 | 17 | Numerical valueCalculation | 8 | |
| Charge Sharing and Heat Losscapacitance from charge sharing | 12 | 12 | Single correctCalculation | 5 | |
| Displacement Current Between Platesrate of change of voltage from displacement current | 7 | 7 | Single correctCalculation | 3 | |
| Energy Stored in Capacitorrate of change of capacitor energy with moving plate | 2 | 2 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Inserted Conducting Slabcapacitance ratio with metal sheet inserted | 2 | 2 | Single correctApplication | – | |
| Partially Filled Dielectric Slabcapacitance with partial dielectric slab | 2 | 2 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Charge Distribution on Parallel Platespotential difference of plates with unequal charges | 1 | 1 | Single correctConceptual | – | |
| Dielectric Insertion (Battery Connected)energy ratio after dielectric insertion with key opened | 1 | 1 | Diagram basedMulti-step | – | |
| Dielectric Strength and Voltage Ratingdielectric constant from breakdown charge | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – | |
| Multiple Dielectric Configurationspotential of foil between two dielectric layers | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Parallel Plate Capacitance Formulagraph interpretation of potential vs charge | 1 | 1 | Diagram basedData or graph | – | |
| Variable Dielectric (Distance Dependent)capacitance with position-dependent permittivity | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – | |
| Capacitance with a Small Tilt Anglecapacitance of slightly tilted plates | 1 | 1 | Diagram basedMulti-step | – | |
| Breakdown Voltage in Series Combinationsminimum capacitors for voltage rating | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – |
Times and shifts count every analysed shift. Across JEE Main, 78% of questions since 2024 went back to an idea an earlier year had asked; the rest were new. All repeated ideas
Every question
Parallel Plate Capacitors questions, year by year
The newest 40 show their opening words as they appeared in the official paper; older ones name the idea they tested. Open one for its options and the official answer.
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Idea: Displacement Current Between Plates
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct
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Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value - 9 Apr, Shift 1Q40A capacitor is made of a flat plate of area A and a second plate having a stair-like structure as shown in figure. If the area of each…
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Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct · figure - 1 Feb, Shift 1Q40Two identical capacitors have same capacitance C. One of them is charged to the potential V and other to the potential 2V. The negative…
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Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct - 1 Feb, Shift 1Q44A parallel plate capacitor has a capacitance C = 200 pF. It is connected to 230 V ac supply with an angular frequency 300 rad/s. The rms…
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Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value - 10 Apr, Shift 1Q41The equivalent capacitance of the combination shown is
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Asked the year beforeHardNumerical value · figure - 15 Apr, Shift 1Q55In the given figure the total charge stored in the combination of capacitors is 100 C. The value of '' is ______________.
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Idea: Multiple Dielectric Configurations
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New ideaEasySingle correct - 30 Jul, Shift 2Q25Combination of four parallel plate air capacitors is shown in figure. Separation between the plate P & P is and…
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Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value · figure - 24 Jun, Shift 1Q48A parallel plate capacitor is formed by two plates each of area separated by 1 mm. A material of dielectric…
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New ideaMediumSingle correct - 24 Jun, Shift 2Q45If the charge on a capacitor is increased by 2 C, the energy stored in it increases by 44%. The original charge on the capacitor is (in C)
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New ideaEasySingle correct - 25 Jun, Shift 1Q56The equivalent capacitance between points A and B in below shown figure will be __________ F.
Idea: Series and Parallel Combinations
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value · figure - 25 Jun, Shift 2Q38Two metallic plates form a parallel plate capacitor. The distance between the plates is ‘’. A metal sheet of thickness …
Idea: Inserted Conducting Slab
New ideaEasySingle correct - 26 Jun, Shift 1Q40Two capacitors having capacitance and respectively are connected as shown in figure. Initially, capacitor is charged to…
Idea: Charge Sharing and Heat Loss
Asked the year beforeEasyDiagram based · figure - 26 Jun, Shift 2Q38The charge on capacitor of capacitance in the figure given below is :
Idea: Series and Parallel Combinations
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct · figure - 26 Jun, Shift 2Q39A parallel plate capacitor with plate area A and plate separation d=2 m has a capacitance of . The new capacitance of the system…
Idea: Partially Filled Dielectric Slab
Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct · figure - 27 Jun, Shift 1Q57A capacitor of capacitance 50 pF is charged by 100 V source. It is then connected to another uncharged identical capacitor. Electrostatic…
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Asked the year beforeEasyNumerical value - 27 Jun, Shift 2Q55A parallel plate capacitor is made up of stair like structure with a plate area A of each stair and that is connected with a wire of…
Idea: Series and Parallel Combinations
Asked the year beforeHardNumerical value · figure - 29 Jun, Shift 2Q56The displacement current of 4.425 is developed in the space between the plates of parallel plate capacitor when voltage is…
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Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct · figure - 24 Feb, Shift 1Q14Two equal capacitors are first connected in series and then in parallel. The ratio of the equivalent capacities in the two cases will be :
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- 2 Sep, Shift 1 · Q23Charge Sharing and Heat LossNew ideaMedium
- 2 Sep, Shift 2 · Q11Charge Sharing and Heat LossNew ideaEasy
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JEE Main 20171 question in 1 shift
Questions from the official JEE Main Paper 1 shifts published by NTA (CBSE for 2017). Questions NTA dropped are left out. Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.