Capacitors in Series and Parallel
Reconnect two capacitors to compare shared charge, shared voltage and stored energy.
Free theory articleReconnect two capacitors to compare shared charge, shared voltage and stored energy.
Concept & interpretation
For initially uncharged ideal capacitors after a DC source has established equilibrium, each capacitor obeys Q=CV. Values in μF multiplied by volts give μC. Energy is U=(1/2)CV2; using μF gives μJ.
Experiment: constraints and boundaries
Use the Capacitors in Series and Parallel module with the named controls.
- Reproduce the worked example, changing only Connection. Series shares charge; parallel shares voltage.
- Set Capacitance C1=1, Capacitance C2=8, Connection=Series and Source voltage V=0. All voltages, charges and stored energy are0, but equivalent capacitance remains8/9 μF.
- Increase Source voltage V to12. Equal series charge does not mean equal voltage: V1=32/3 V and V2=4/3 V.
- Inspect the circuit and use Reset view after panning. The exact fraction shown next to Ceq distinguishes mathematical exactness from a finite decimal display.