What is the effect of connecting capacitors in series?

What is the effect of connecting capacitors in series?

• A. The equivalent capacitance decreases
• B. The equivalent capacitance increases
• C. Capacitance remains unchanged
• D. Only one capacitor determines the overall capacitance

Answer: (A)

When capacitors are connected in series, the overall behavior of the circuit changes in a specific way. The key effect is that the equivalent capacitance of the series combination is less than the capacitance of the smallest capacitor in the series. This occurs because, in a series arrangement, the charge on each capacitor is the same, and the voltage across the series combination is the sum of the voltages across each capacitor. The relationship for determining the equivalent capacitance \( C_{eq} \) in a series configuration is given by the formula: \[ \frac{1}{C_{eq}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + \frac{1}{C_3} + \ldots \] Where \( C_1, C_2, C_3, \ldots \) are the capacitances of the individual capacitors. As you can see from the formula, when you take the reciprocal of the individual capacitances, the result is always a value that is greater than zero, leading to an overall equivalent capacitance that is smaller than each individual capacitor's capacitance. Therefore, the correct understanding is that connecting capacitors in series results in a

When capacitors are connected in series, the overall behavior of the circuit changes in a specific way. The key effect is that the equivalent capacitance of the series combination is less than the capacitance of the smallest capacitor in the series.

This occurs because, in a series arrangement, the charge on each capacitor is the same, and the voltage across the series combination is the sum of the voltages across each capacitor. The relationship for determining the equivalent capacitance ( C_{eq} ) in a series configuration is given by the formula:

[

\frac{1}{C_{eq}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + \frac{1}{C_3} + \ldots

]

Where ( C_1, C_2, C_3, \ldots ) are the capacitances of the individual capacitors. As you can see from the formula, when you take the reciprocal of the individual capacitances, the result is always a value that is greater than zero, leading to an overall equivalent capacitance that is smaller than each individual capacitor's capacitance. Therefore, the correct understanding is that connecting capacitors in series results in a