Charge on capacitors in parallel and series

In summary, to find the charge on each capacitor in a circuit, you can use the formula q=Ceq*v to find the total charge and then apply the series formula \frac{1}{C_{eq}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_{23}} to find the equivalent capacitance. Charge is conserved across capacitors in series, but with capacitors in parallel you must add the individual charges to get the total charge.
  • #1
LakeMountD
59
0
How do I find the charge on each capacitor?

-------c1----------------------
|......|...|
|......|...|
V......c2...c3
|_______________|__________|

I know how to find the total charge which would be q=Ceq*v but I don't know how to find the charge on each individual capacitor.
 
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  • #2
Do you know how to find [tex]C_{eq}[/tex]? Add up the capacitors in parallel (simply add the capacitances). This will give you [tex]C_2[/tex] + [tex]C_3[/tex]. This new equivalent capacitance is in series with [tex]C_1[/tex]. Use the series formula [tex]\frac{1}{C_{eq}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_{23}}[/tex] After you have found the total equivalent capacitance you can get the total charge, and find the individual charges from there. I don't know if that will help you any.

As a hint, charge is conserved across capacitors in series (the equivalent charge is the same for each capacitor) but with capacitors in parallel you have to add the individual charges to get the total charge.
 
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  • #3


In order to find the charge on each individual capacitor, you can use the formula q = CV, where q is the charge, C is the capacitance, and V is the voltage.

For capacitors in series, the voltage across each capacitor is the same, so you can use the total voltage (V) and the individual capacitance (C) to find the charge on each capacitor.

For capacitors in parallel, the charge is divided among the capacitors based on their individual capacitance. So, you can use the total charge (q) and the individual capacitance (C) to find the charge on each capacitor.

In the circuit shown, the total charge (q) is the same for all three capacitors. So, for c1, you can use the formula q = C1V, where C1 is the capacitance of c1 and V is the voltage across all three capacitors. Similarly, for c2 and c3, you can use the formulas q = C2V and q = C3V, respectively.

It is important to note that the voltage across each capacitor in a parallel circuit is the same, while in a series circuit, the charge is the same. So, depending on the type of circuit, you can use the appropriate formula to find the charge on each individual capacitor.
 

1. What is the formula for calculating the total charge on capacitors in parallel?

The total charge on capacitors in parallel is equal to the sum of the individual charges on each capacitor. In formula form, it can be expressed as Qtotal = Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + ... where Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. are the individual charges on each capacitor.

2. How does the charge on capacitors in parallel compare to the charge on capacitors in series?

The charge on capacitors in parallel is greater than the charge on capacitors in series. This is because in parallel, the capacitors have the same potential difference across them, so they can store more charge compared to being in series where the potential difference is divided among the capacitors.

3. Can the total charge on capacitors in parallel ever be less than the charge on one of the individual capacitors?

No, the total charge on capacitors in parallel can never be less than the charge on one of the individual capacitors. This is because the total charge is the sum of the individual charges, and each individual charge cannot be negative.

4. What happens to the total charge on capacitors in series if one of the capacitors is removed?

If one of the capacitors in a series circuit is removed, the total charge on the remaining capacitors will decrease. This is because the charge on each capacitor is directly proportional to its capacitance, and removing a capacitor will decrease the total capacitance of the circuit, resulting in a decrease in total charge.

5. Can the total charge on capacitors in series ever be greater than the charge on one of the individual capacitors?

No, the total charge on capacitors in series can never be greater than the charge on one of the individual capacitors. This is because the charge on capacitors in series is divided among the capacitors, so the maximum charge on any one capacitor will always be less than the total charge.

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