Suppose we have 3 capacitors, C1, C2, and C3.
If C1 is connected to a battery it's charge is 30.8 microC. C1 is disconnected and discharged.
If C1 and C2 are connected in series to the same battery, their charge is 23.1 microC. Both are disconnected and discharged.
If C1 and C3 are connected in series their charge is 25.2 microC. All 3 are disconnected and discharged.
Now, if all 3 are connected in series to the same what is the resulting charge?
When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance decreases. This is because the effective area of the plates decreases, making it more difficult for the plates to store charge. As a result, the equivalent capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitor.
In a series circuit, the voltage across each capacitor is divided in proportion to the capacitance of each capacitor. This means that the capacitor with the largest capacitance will have the largest voltage drop, while the capacitor with the smallest capacitance will have the smallest voltage drop.
No, the total charge stored in a series circuit of capacitors is the same as the charge stored in a single capacitor. This is because the same current flows through each capacitor, and the total charge is equal to the current multiplied by the total time.
The total energy stored in a series circuit of capacitors is less than the energy stored in a single capacitor. This is because the voltage across each capacitor is decreased, and energy is directly proportional to voltage. Therefore, the total energy stored in a series circuit is the sum of the individual energies stored in each capacitor.
Connecting capacitors in series can be used to achieve a specific capacitance value that is not available with a single capacitor. Additionally, it can be used to evenly distribute the voltage across multiple capacitors in a circuit, preventing any one capacitor from becoming overloaded.