Would the charges in each capacitors be the same ?

In summary, the conversation discusses the relationship between charges and current in a circuit containing capacitors. The participants question whether the charges in each capacitor would be the same if connected in series, and explain that according to the principle of conservation of charge, the charges must be equal. They also discuss the function of a battery in a circuit, which is to pump the already existing charges around. When capacitors are connected in parallel, the sum of the charges on the two plates connected to one side of the battery is equal and opposite to the sum of the charges on the other two plates.
  • #1
thereddevils
438
0
Say there are 2 capacitors of different capacitance connected in series to a supply of 3 V . Would the charges in each capacitors be the same ?

Can i say that charges are analogous current ? If so , since current is the same throughout the circuit , hence the charges in each capacitor is the same ?
 
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  • #2
Hi thereddevils! :smile:
thereddevils said:
Can i say that charges are analogous current ?

Not really.

Use conservation of charge …

if the charges were different, where would the extra charge have come from? :wink:
 
  • #3


tiny-tim said:
Hi thereddevils! :smile:


Not really.

Use conservation of charge …

if the charges were different, where would the extra charge have come from? :wink:

thanks , i just read bout it a little in wikipedia and it says the principle states that charges can neither be created or destroyed . So say in a circuit , there are 5C of charges so forever there will be 5 C of charges ? Where did this 5 C of charges come in the first place , is it from the battery ? And also each capacitor will store 5 C of charges following that principle ?
 
  • #4
Hi thereddevils! smile:

(just got up :zzz: …)

The charge goes from one plate to another … the battery pumps charge all the way from the left-hand plate of the left-hand capacitor to the right-hand plate of the right-hand capacitor.

The charge missing from one plate obviously equals the charge gained by the other plate.

For the two "inside" plates, it's the same … the charge lost by one must equal the charge gained by the other.
 
  • #5


tiny-tim said:
Hi thereddevils! smile:

(just got up :zzz: …)

The charge goes from one plate to another … the battery pumps charge all the way from the left-hand plate of the left-hand capacitor to the right-hand plate of the right-hand capacitor.

The charge missing from one plate obviously equals the charge gained by the other plate.

For the two "inside" plates, it's the same … the charge lost by one must equal the charge gained by the other.

thanks tim and good morning , its 5pm here in Malaysia .

i kinda get the picture now so the function of the battery is to pump the charge , does it supply the charges ? Or the charges are already there in the circuit and the battery just pumps them around ?

Ok i see , so when the capacitors are connected in series , the charges are equal in each capacitors , what if the capacitors are connected in parallel ? i think it will not be the same but rather the sum would give the overall charge of the circuit .
 
  • #6
thereddevils said:
thanks tim and good morning , its 5pm here in Malaysia .

i kinda get the picture now so the function of the battery is to pump the charge , does it supply the charges ? Or the charges are already there in the circuit and the battery just pumps them around ?

The latter … the electrons are already in the circuit, and all the battery does is pump them round.
Ok i see , so when the capacitors are connected in series , the charges are equal in each capacitors , what if the capacitors are connected in parallel ? i think it will not be the same but rather the sum would give the overall charge of the circuit .

Yes, in parallel, the sum of the charges on the two left-hand plates (connected to one side of the battery) is equal and opposite to the sum of the charges on the two right-hand plates (and, of course, the voltage difference across each capacitor is the same).

Have a good evening! :smile:
 

1. How does the charge distribute between capacitors in a series circuit?

In a series circuit, the capacitors share the same amount of charge. The charge in each capacitor will be equal to the total charge in the circuit divided by the number of capacitors.

2. Are the charges in each capacitor the same in a parallel circuit?

In a parallel circuit, the charges in each capacitor are not necessarily the same. The charges will depend on the individual capacitance values of each capacitor and how they are connected in the circuit.

3. Does the charge on a capacitor depend on its position in the circuit?

No, the charge on a capacitor does not depend on its position in the circuit. The charge on each capacitor will depend on its capacitance and the voltage across it.

4. Can the charges in each capacitor be different if they have different capacitance values?

Yes, the charges in each capacitor can be different if they have different capacitance values. The charge on a capacitor is directly proportional to its capacitance, so a capacitor with a higher capacitance value will have a larger charge compared to one with a lower capacitance value.

5. What happens to the charges in capacitors if the voltage in the circuit changes?

If the voltage in the circuit changes, the charges in the capacitors will also change. The charge on a capacitor is directly proportional to the voltage across it, so if the voltage increases, the charge will also increase.

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