Learning Outcome:

20.2 Capacitors in series and parallel (1 hour)

At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: Deduce and use the effective capacitance of capacitors in series and parallel. Derive and use equation of energy stored in a capacitor

1 U = CV 2

1 1Q = QV = 2 2 C

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20.2 Capacitors in series and parallel

20.2.1 Capacitors in series Figure 4.2 shows three capacitors are connected in series to a battery of voltage, V. +Q1 QI +Q2 Q2 +Q3 Q3 Figure 4.2
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C1,V1

C2,V2 C3,V3

equivalent to

+Q Ceff,V

When the circuit is complete, electrons are transferred onto the plates such that the magnitude of the charge Q on each plate is the same same. The total charge (Q) on the effective capacitor is

Q = Q1 = Q2 = Q3
The potential difference across each capacitor C1,C2 and C3 are V1,V2 and V3 respectively. Hence

Q1 Q V1 = = C1 C1
Q2 Q V2 = = C 2 C2

Q3 Q V3 = = C3 C 3
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The total potential difference V is given by

V = V1 + V2 + V3 Q Q Q V= + + C1 C 2 C3 V 1 1 1 = + + Q C1 C2 C3

and

V 1 = Q Ceff

Therefore the effective (equivalent) capacitance Ceff for n capacitors in series is given by

1 1 1 1 1 = + + + ... + Ceff C1 C2 C3 Cn

capacitors in series

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20.2.2

Capacitors in parallel

Figure 4.3 shows three capacitors are connected in parallel to a battery of voltage, V.

+Q1 QI C1,V1

+Q2 Q2 C2,V2

+Q3 Q3 C3,V3

equivalent to

+Q Ceff,V

Figure 4.3

The potential difference across each capacitor is the same as the supply voltage (V). (V Thus the total potential difference (V) on the effective capacitor is

V = V1 = V2 = V3

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The charges stored by each capacitor C1,C2 and C3 are Q1,Q2 and Q3 respectively. Hence

Q1 = C1V1 = C1V ; Q2 = C2V2 = C2V ; Q3 = C3V3 = C3V

The total charge Q on the effective capacitor is given by

Q = Q1 + Q2 + Q3

Q = C1V + C2V + C3V

Q = C1 + C 2 + C3 V
and

Q = Ceff V

Therefore the effective (equivalent) capacitance Ceff for n capacitors in parallel is given by

Ceff = C1 + C2 + C3 + ... + Cn

capacitors in parallel

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Example 3 :
Determine the effective capacitance of the configuration shown in Figure 4.4.

Figure 4.4 All the capacitors are identical and each has a capacitance of 2 F.

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Solution : C = C = C = C = C = C = C = 2 F 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Label all the capacitors in the circuit.

C2

C1 C3

C4

C5 C6

C7

To calculate the effective capacitance, it is easier to solve it from the end of the circuit (left) to the terminal (right). Capacitors C1, C2 and C3 are connected in series, then

C5 Cx C4 C6 C7
2 C x = F 3

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Solution : C1 = C2 = C3 = C 4 = C5 = C6 = C7 = 2 F Capacitors Cx and C4 are connected in parallel, then

C5

Cy

C6

C7
8 C y = F 3

Capacitors Cy, C5 and C6 are connected in series, then

Cz

C7
Cz = 8 F 11

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Solution :
1 2 5 7 Capacitors Cz and C3 are 4 connected 6 parallel, then the in 7 effective capacitance Ceff is given by

C = C = C = C = C = C = C = 2 F

Ceff
Ceff 30 F = 11
OR

2.73 F

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Example 4 :
A

C1
C2 C3
D

B
Figure 4.5 In Figure 4.5, C1= 100 F, C2 = 200 F and C3 = 300 F. The applied potential difference between points A and B is VAB = 8.0 V. Calculate a. the charge on each capacitor. b. the potential difference across each capacitor. c. the potential difference between points A and D.
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Solution : C = 100 F; C = 200 F; C = 300 F;V = 8.0 V 1 2 3 AB

C1 C2 C3
D

C12
A

C3
B

B
a. Capacitors

C1 and C2 are connected in parallel then C12 is

Thus the effective capacitance Ceff in the circuit is given by

C12 = 300 F

Ceff = 150 F
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Solution : C = 100 F; C = 200 F; C = 300 F;V = 8.0 V 1 2 3 AB a. The total charge Q stored in the effective capacitance Ceff is

Q = 1200 C
Since the capacitors C12 and C3 are connected in series then the charge stored in each capacitor is the same as the total charge. The potential difference across the capacitor C3 is

V3 = 4.0 V
thus the potential difference across the capacitor C12 is given by

V12 = 4.0 V
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Solution : C = 100 F; C = 200 F; C = 300 F;V = 8.0 V 1 2 3 AB a. Since the capacitors C1 and C2 are connected in parallel then the potential difference across each capacitor is the same as V12. Therefore

Q1 = 400 C
and

Q2 = 147 C

Q2 = 800 C
b. The potential difference across each capacitor is given by c. The potential difference between points A and D is given by

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20.2.3

Energy stored in a charged capacitor, U

When a switch in Figure 4.6 is closed, charges begin to accumulate on the plates.

dQ + + +

V
Figure 4.6

A small amount of work (dW ) is done in bringing a small amount of charge (dQ) from the battery to the capacitor. This is given by Q

dW = VdQ and V = C Q dW = dQ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10C 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 11

The total work W required to increase the accumulated charge from zero to Q is given by

Q dW = dQ 0 C 1 Q2 U =W = 2 C
Q

OR

Note: No charges will accumulate on each plate if the capacitor is not charged.
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1 1 2 U = CV OR U = QV 2 2

Example 5 :
Figure 4.7

20 V

C1 C2 C3

Figure 4.7 shows a combination of three capacitors where C1= 100 F, C2 = 22 F and C3 = 47 F. A 20 V supply is connected to the combination. Determine a. the effective capacitance in the circuit, b. the charge stored in the capacitor C1, c. the potential difference across the capacitor C2, d. the energy stored in the capacitor C3, e. the area of the each plate in capacitor C1 if the distance between two plates is 0.02 m and the region between plates is vacuum. (Permittivity of free space, 0 = 8.85 1012 C2 N1 m2)
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Solution : C

= 100 F; C2 = 22 F; C3 = 47 F;V = 20 V

V
C1 C2 C3

V
C1

C23

a. Capacitors

C2 and C3 are connected in series then C23 is

Therefore the effective capacitance,

C23 = 15.0 F

Ceff is given by

Ceff = 115 F
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Solution : C

= 100 F; C2 = 22 F; C3 = 47 F;V = 20 V

b. Since the capacitors C1 and C23 are connected in parallel, thus Hence the charge stored in the capacitor C1 is

Q1 = 2000 C
c. The total charge stored in the circuit is given by

Q = 2300 C
Thus the charge stored in the capacitor C23 is

The capacitors C2 and C3 are connected in series, thus

Q23 = 300 C

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Solution : C

= 100 F; C2 = 22 F; C3 = 47 F;V = 20 V

c. Therefore the potential difference across the capacitor C2 is

d. The energy stored in the capacitor C3 is given by

V2 = 13.6 V

e. By applying the capacitances equation for parallel-plate capacitor, thus

U 3 = 9.58 104 J

A = 0.226 m 2
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Example 6 :
Consider the circuit shown in Figure 4.8, where C1= 50 F, C2 = 25 F and V = 25.0 V.

S1
V

S2
C1 C2

Figure 4.8 Capacitor C1 is first charged by closing a switch S1. Switch S1 is then opened, and then the charged capacitor is connected to the uncharged capacitor C2 by closing a switch S2. Calculate the initial charge acquired by C1 and the final charge on each capacitor.
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Solution : C = 50 F; C = 25 F;V = 25.0 V 1 2 Switch S1 is closed: When the capacitor C1 is fully charged, the charge has been placed on its plate is given by

Switch S2 is closed and S1 is opened:

Q1 = 1250 C

The capacitors C1 and C2 (uncharged) are connected in parallel and the equivalent capacitance is

Ceq = 75 F
By using the principle of conservation of charge, the total charge Q on the circuit is given by

Q = 1250 C
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Solution : C = 50 F; C = 25 F;V = 25.0 V 1 2 The potential difference across each capacitor is the same (parallel connection) and given by

V '= 16.7 V
Therefore the final charge accumulates on the capacitor C1 :

Q1 ' = 835 C
capacitor C2 :

Q2 ' = 415 C
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