In this lesson, we will learn that capacitors in parallel add to the capacitance in the system in a similar way to placing resistors in series. You can use this knowledge to engineer a specific value of capacitance from those you already have on hand, or to increase the capacitance beyond that of your highest capacitor.
(c) The assumption that the capacitors were hooked up in parallel, rather than in series, was incorrect. A parallel connection always produces a greater capacitance, while here a smaller capacitance was assumed. This could happen only if the capacitors are connected in series.
One example are DC supplies which sometimes use several parallel capacitors in order to better filter the output signal and eliminate the AC ripple. By using this approach, it is possible to use smaller capacitors that have superior ripple characteristics while obtaining higher capacitance values.
The total capacitance of a set of parallel capacitors is simply the sum of the capacitance values of the individual capacitors. Theoretically, there is no limit to the number of capacitors that can be connected in parallel. But certainly, there will be practical limits depending on the application, space, and other physical limitations.
(a) Capacitors in parallel. Each is connected directly to the voltage source just as if it were all alone, and so the total capacitance in parallel is just the sum of the individual capacitances. (b) The equivalent capacitor has a larger plate area and can therefore hold more charge than the individual capacitors.
DC power supplies sometimes use parallel capacitors in order to better filter the output signal and eliminate the AC ripple. Energy storage capacitor banks are used for power factor correction with inductive loads. Capacitive storage banks are used in the automotive industry for regenerative braking in large vehicles such as trams and hybrid cars.
When capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitors'' capacitances. If two or more capacitors are connected in parallel, the overall effect is that of a single equivalent capacitor having the …