Handout No. 11 (Capacitance II) by Odon M. Sanchez C.

(spring semester 2017)

1. Elements connected in Series and in Parallel. Imagine three water filters connected in a chain, see the Figure were the three
filters are shown connected to a water pump by 8 straight pipes and 4 elbows (notice that the circuit is a closed circuit), there is water
inside the system. If we turn on the pump it will generate a pressure difference and the water will flow through all the closed circuit,
assume it flows in a clockwise direction (it depends on how you connected the pump). Please notice (even that it may look silly) that
the pump DOESN’T produce water, the water is already there, the pump produces a pressure difference, so that the water (already
there) will flow continuously through the filters, the pipe segments, the elbows and the pump (bottom line; the pump doesn’t produce
water, it produces a water current that flows through the entire circuit). Assume that the water is flowing at a rate of six liters per
second; notice that six liters per second flows through filter number 1, six liters per second flows through filter number 2, six liters
per second flows through filter number 3, six liters per second flows through every pipe section, six liters per second flows through
the pump, it is a matter of conservation of matter (or continuity). We can said that the three filters are connected in SERIES.

Filter 2
Filter 1 Filter 3

Pump; turn on

Let’s connect the three filters in a different form; see the Figure where the three filters are connected in PARALLEL, again in a
closed pipe circuit.

Filter 1

Pump; turn on

Filter 2

Filter 3

Assume that water is flowing through the pump at a rate of six liters per second, then a possible scenario will be: 1 liter per second
flowing through filter number 1, two liters per second flowing through filter 2 and three liters per second flowing through filter 3. If
the three filters were equal, notice that two liters per second will flow through each one of the filters.

It should be obvious for you that instead of a water pump we will use a battery, instead of pipes we will use wires, instead of filters
we will use circuit elements (capacitors, resistors, etc.), instead of a pressure difference we will use a potential difference ( ∆ V ),
and most important, instead of a water current we will deal with an electric current (free electrons flowing through the closed circuit).
Following the story and the similitude; the battery DOESN’T produce electrons, free electrons are already there (in your computer, in
your refrigerator, etc.), the battery just put them in motion, produces an electric current (electrons flowing through the circuit).

By the way, if you want to stop the electric current (an emergency for example) you just have to ‘open’ the circuit to stop the flow, or
turn off the battery. Opening the circuit is generally done by the use of a switch.

2. The symbol used for a battery is:

And the symbol used for a capacitor is:
 1 2
3. A capacitor “C” with “charge” has energy stored on it, the energy stored is given by: U= C ∆ V , ∆V is the
2
potential difference in between the two conductor elements of the capacitor.
4. Circuits with capacitors connected in series. Imagine a closed circuit with three capacitors connected in series; it can be said that
1 1 1 1
each one of the capacitors has the SAME CHARGE, and the equivalent capacity is given by: = + + . Take a
C eq C 1 C2 C 3
close look at the example shown in Figure A. Notice that it can be substituted by the equivalent circuit shown in Figure B. A
common mistake made by E & M students is to say that the equivalent capacitor (in Figure B) has the value of: 17 μF or 0.8 μF, and
you bet that you will find these numbers as options in the multiple choice test. Also notice that the charge in the equivalent capacitor
is 12.5 μC, but, how about the charge in the capacitor C 1? You are smart enough to know it is the same as in the capacitor C 2 and C3,
and the answer is: 12.5 μC.

C1=5μF C2=2μF C3=10μF Ceq=1.25μF

ε=10volts ε=10volts

Figure A Figure B

5. Circuits with capacitors connected in parallel. Imagine a closed circuit with three capacitors connected in parallel; it can be said
that each one of the capacitors has the SAME VOLTAGE, and the equivalent capacity is given by: C eq=C 1+ C 2 +C 3 . Take
a close look at the example shown in Figure A. Notice that it can be substituted by the equivalent circuit shown in Figure B. A
common mistake made by E & M students is to say that the equivalent capacitor (in Figure B) has the value of: 0.92 μF or 1.08 μF,
and you bet that you will find these numbers as options in the multiple choice test. Also notice that the charge in the equivalent
capacitor is 108 μC, but, how about the charge in the capacitor C 1 and C2, and C3? Well, the answers are: Q1 = 24μC, Q2 = 36μC, Q3 =
48μC. Notice that 24+36+48=108. Also notice that the largest capacitor (C 3) holds the largest amount of charge.
C1=2μF C2=3μF C3=4μF

ε=12volts
ε=12volts Ceq=9μF

Figure A Figure B
6. Circuit with capacitors connected in series and parallel. Imagine a circuit with many capacitors, some of them connected in
series and some in parallel, an easy example is shown in Figure A; there are many questions that can be ask about this simple circuit,
one of them is: what is the energy stored in the capacitor of 2 μF. The circuit in Figure A can be solved by a series of steps; take a
very close look at Figures B and C. Now, let’s go back (step by step) from Figure C to Figure B to Figure A: from Figure C we can
say that the charge in the equivalent capacitor is Q eq=24 μC, but Ceq in Figure C was born from C 12 and C3 in Figure B, both of them
connected in series (remember capacitors in series; same charge), so we can say that: Q 12 = 24μC and Q3 = 24μC . Using this
information we can say that the voltage across capacitors C 12 and C3 is given by: ΔV12 = 8 volts and ΔV3 = 4 volts (notice that
8+4=12). But C12 was born from C1 and C2 that are connected in parallel (remember capacitors in parallel; same voltage), so Q 1 = 8μC
1 2
and Q2 = 16μC. The answer to the original question is: U2 = 64 μJ (microjoules); remember: U= C ∆ V . Figure D shows
2
the original circuit w/ the data obtained.
C1=1μF C3=6μF Ceq=2μF
C3=6μF C12=3μF

C2=2μF
ε=12volts ε=12volts
ε=12volts Figure B Figure C
Figure A

C1= 1μF : Q3= 8μC

4V

8V C3= 6μF : Q3= 24μC

8V C2= 2μF : Q3= 16μC

ε=12volts
Figure D