Figure 8.3.1 8.3. 1: (a) Three capacitors are connected in series. The magnitude of the charge on each plate is Q. (b) The network of capacitors in (a) is equivalent to one capacitor that has a smaller capacitance than any of the individual capacitances in (a), and the charge on its plates is Q.
Capacitors in series are capacitors that are placed back-to-back with the negative electrode of one capacitor connecting to the positive electrode of the other. Below is a circuit where 3 capacitors are placed in series.
Note that in a series network of capacitors, the equivalent capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitance in the network. A parallel combination of three capacitors, with one plate of each capacitor connected to one side of the circuit and the other plate connected to the other side, is illustrated in Figure 8.12 (a).
These two basic combinations, series and parallel, can also be used as part of more complex connections. Figure 8.3.1 8.3. 1 illustrates a series combination of three capacitors, arranged in a row within the circuit. As for any capacitor, the capacitance of the combination is related to both charge and voltage:
The series combination of two or three capacitors resembles a single capacitor with a smaller capacitance. Generally, any number of capacitors connected in series is equivalent to one capacitor whose capacitance (called the equivalent capacitance) is smaller than the smallest of the capacitances in the series combination.
As for any capacitor, the capacitance of the combination is related to the charge and voltage by using Equation 8.1. When this series combination is connected to a battery with voltage V, each of the capacitors acquires an identical charge Q.
A capacitor is a simple electronic part that can store energy like a tiny battery. It has two metal plates with a special material called a dielectric between them. Connecting a capacitor to a power source creates an electric field between the …