Capacitor Charge Equality in Parallel and Series Configuration

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
2 replies · 2K views
Kanse
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Hi. If I had 4 capacitors and three were in parallel while the last one was in series with on of the parallel ones would the charge on the c and d capacitors be the same?
Capacitors Cc and Cd are in series while being in parallel with Ca and Cb.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
If you know the potential difference between the two ends of the capacitors, I'm fairly certain that you can simply use Q = CV to find the charge on the capacitor plates. This would imply that the charge would not be the same, except when the capacitors have the same capacitance.
 
The charge on Cc and Cd must be the same because the charged particles leave Cc's right plate also enter Cd's left plate. If you know the capacitance of Cc and Cd, you know the potentials on each capacitor.
Q=CV ==> Vc=Q/Cc; Vd=Q/Cd and Vc+Vd = V
From that you can find Vc,d via Cc, Cd or vice versa.