If the plates of a parallel plate capacitor are not equal in area, then

Options

A. quantity of charge on the plates will be the same, but nature of charge will differ.
B. quantity of charge as well as nature of charge on the plates will be different
C. quantity of charge on the plates will be different, but nature of charge will be the same.
D. quantity of charge as well as nature of charge will be the same.

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the behavior of a parallel plate capacitor with unequal plate areas, we can break down the solution into a series of logical steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Configuration of the Capacitor
A parallel plate capacitor consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material (dielectric). In this case, we have two plates with different areas, let's denote them as A1 and A2, where A1 > A2.

**Hint:** Remember that in a capacitor, the plates are charged oppositely when connected to a voltage source.

### Step 2: Connect the Capacitor to a Voltage Source
When the capacitor is connected to a voltage source (potential difference V), one plate will accumulate positive charge (Q) while the other will accumulate an equal amount of negative charge (-Q).

**Hint:** The charge on the plates is determined by the voltage and the capacitance of the capacitor.

### Step 3: Analyze the Charge on the Plates
Even though the areas of the plates are different, the fundamental property of capacitors states that the charge on each plate must be equal in magnitude but opposite in sign. Therefore, we can conclude that:
- Charge on Plate 1 (positive): Q
- Charge on Plate 2 (negative): -Q

**Hint:** The charge is the same in magnitude but opposite in nature due to the conservation of charge.

### Step 4: Conclusion
Since the plates are of unequal area, the electric field and capacitance will be affected, but the charge on the plates will remain equal in magnitude. Thus, we can conclude that the quantity of charge on the plates is the same, but the nature of the charge is opposite.

**Final Answer:** The quantity of charge on the plates is the same, but the nature of the charge is different.

### Summary of Steps:
1. Identify the configuration of the capacitor with unequal plate areas.
2. Connect the capacitor to a voltage source.
3. Analyze the charge distribution on the plates.
4. Conclude that the charge is equal in magnitude but opposite in nature.