How Do You Calculate Charge in Parallel Capacitors?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the total charge stored in parallel capacitors, specifically a 4.0-µF and a 7.0-µF capacitor connected across a 25-V battery. The correct approach involves first determining the total capacitance, which is 11.0 µF, and then applying the formula q = C * V to find the charge. The user initially miscalculated the charge as 275 C due to incorrect unit conversion and misunderstanding of capacitance units. The correct total charge stored is 0.275 C.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of capacitance and its units (microfarads, µF)
  • Familiarity with the formula for charge (q = C * V)
  • Basic knowledge of electrical circuits, particularly parallel connections
  • Ability to convert units appropriately in calculations
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the concept of total capacitance in parallel circuits
  • Learn about unit conversions in electrical engineering, particularly for capacitance
  • Explore the implications of voltage in capacitor circuits
  • Review examples of charge calculations for different capacitor configurations
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Students studying electrical engineering, educators teaching circuit theory, and anyone looking to understand capacitor behavior in parallel configurations.

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Homework Statement


A 4.0-µF and an 7.0-µF capacitor are connected in parallel across a 25-V battery. Find
the total charge stored on the two capacitors.




Homework Equations


q=Cv


The Attempt at a Solution


i did the eqivalent capactiy*25 volts to get 275 C as the charge but that was marked incorrect- will you explain to me what i am doing wrong? thanks ahead for assistance
 
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Watch your orders of magnitude. What are the given units of capacitance?
 
columb per volt and they give 4 and 7- but how do i fing thr charge using the equation above?
 
name_ask17 said:
columb per volt and they give 4 and 7- but how do i fing thr charge using the equation above?

What is the total capacitance in Farads?
 
isnt it just 11??
but how does that lead me to charge?
 
name_ask17 said:
isnt it just 11??
but how does that lead me to charge?

No, it's not "11". The 11 has units. What are the units that the capacitors were specified with in the problem statement?

Once you have the total capacitance expressed in the correct units, then you can use the method that you employed previously to find the charge (with the correct units!).
 
OH! ok thanks you because what i was doing was not converting it back to c
 
but THANKS, you really did help
 

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