Voltage of a battery and capacitors are the same

[oneplusone]

I was watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8A1U-RZDao&index=7&list=PLLUpvzaZLf3Jv7AjU5pfY8s25-QBCfdIZ
and at around 6 minutes, I got confused. Ill summarize it below in case the link does not work:

If you have a circuit which consists of a battery which is 12 volts, and a lot of capacitors…what is the voltage of the capacitors? Are ALL of them 12 V regardless of how they're set up, and the size of it? I heard something about capacitors taking their "Maximum voltage" always.

Also, how would this change if you add a 4V light bulb?

 

[mfb]

Did you mean to link the video "Dielectrics in Capacitors and Otherwise" or something else? The video does not look related to your questions.

Are ALL of them 12 V regardless of how they're set up, and the size of it?

It depends on the circuit. If their terminals are connected to the terminals of the battery (via a cable as in 6:00), they will charge to 12 V.

Also, how would this change if you add a 4V light bulb?

It acts like a resistor, and will slow the charging process. It should not change the final voltages if it is a regular light bulb (i.e. not LEDs).

 

[oneplusone]

I can't find the correct video for some reason . I ll check later.

Suppose you have something like this:

and it's connected to a battery . Would ALL the capacitors have the same voltage across it?
I'm mainly confused on problems like: "you stick a 12 volt battery to a circuit like this…now find the capacitance of each capacitor". Like what would you need to know to solve it?

 

[mfb]

Would ALL the capacitors have the same voltage across it?

No.
As an example, if the leftmost two capacitors would both have 12V across it, the total voltage across this side would be 24V - but we know the two sides have a difference of just 12V.

In addition, the same voltage for both capacitors would violate charge conservation if we start charging it from zero.

Like what would you need to know to solve it?

Just charge conservation, Q=CV and knowledge that the potential is the same everywhere in a wire.

 

[sardar]

The voltage of a battery and capacitors are not necessarily the same. While the battery may have a voltage of 12 volts, the voltage of the capacitors will depend on how they are connected in the circuit. In the video you mentioned, the speaker is discussing the concept of capacitance and how capacitors can store charge. The voltage of a capacitor is determined by the amount of charge it can hold, which is affected by the size and configuration of the capacitor. Therefore, the voltage of the capacitors in the circuit may not all be 12 volts.

As for the "maximum voltage" concept, this refers to the maximum amount of voltage that a capacitor can handle before it becomes damaged. This is important to consider when designing circuits to prevent damage to components.

Adding a 4V light bulb to the circuit will affect the voltage distribution in the circuit. The voltage across the light bulb will be 4V, while the voltage across the capacitors may decrease depending on their configuration and the amount of charge they are holding.

In summary, the voltage of capacitors in a circuit is not necessarily the same as the battery voltage and can vary depending on the capacitance and configuration. It is important to consider the maximum voltage a capacitor can handle when designing circuits. Adding components, such as a light bulb, can also affect the voltage distribution in the circuit.