Q = Q1 + Q2 + Q3. Figure 2. (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.
Well, just replace C1 in the circuit above with a 100 µF and a 47 µF capacitor in parallel, and you end up with a total capacitance of 147 µF. Another typical place where you’ll see capacitors connected in parallel is with microcontroller circuits. Microcontroller chips often have several power pins.
Total capacitance in parallel is simply the sum of the individual capacitances. (Again the “... ” indicates the expression is valid for any number of capacitors connected in parallel.) So, for example, if the capacitors in the example above were connected in parallel, their capacitance would be
In general, to construct a system with a higher capacitance, we should connect capacitors in parallel. Conversely, if capacitors are in series, the resulting capacity is lower than any of the individual components. Here's how to use the parallel capacitor calculator.
One important point to remember about parallel connected capacitor circuits, the total capacitance ( CT ) of any two or more capacitors connected together in parallel will always be GREATER than the value of the largest capacitor in the group as we are adding together values.
The formula for capacitors in parallel is C = C₁ + C₂ + …. It is the same as that for series resistors.