In a simple capacitor, the plate area is two square inches, the dielectric material is air, and the distance between the plates is 0.01 inch (0.254 mm). To increase the capacitance, you should:

In a simple capacitor, capacitance is affected by three primary factors: the area of the plates, the distance between the plates, and the dielectric constant of the material separating the plates. The formula for capacitance (C) can be represented as:

[ C = \frac{\varepsilon \cdot A}{d} ]

where:

• ( \varepsilon ) is the permittivity of the dielectric material,

• ( A ) is the area of the plates,

• ( d ) is the distance between the plates.

When choosing to change the dielectric material from air to mica, you are leveraging the difference in dielectric constant between the two materials. Mica has a significantly higher dielectric constant than air, which means that it can store more electric charge for the same voltage. By increasing the dielectric constant, you increase the overall capacitance of the capacitor, making it more effective for storing electric charge.

Thus, selecting mica as the dielectric material will enhance the capacitor's performance, allowing for a larger capacitance value compared to using air.