What happens to the energy stored in a capacitor if after disconnecting the battery, the plates of a charged capacitor are moved farther

Explanation

To solve the problem of what happens to the energy stored in a capacitor when the plates are moved farther apart after disconnecting the battery, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Initial Conditions**:
- When a capacitor is charged and then disconnected from the battery, it retains a charge \( Q \) on its plates. The energy stored in the capacitor is given by the formula:
\[
U = \frac{Q^2}{2C}
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