Capacitors in Series Calculator

Formula

To calculate the total capacitance (\(C\)) of capacitors in series:

\[ \frac{1}{C} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + \frac{1}{C_x} \]

Where:

\(C\) is the total capacitance
\(C_1\) is the capacitance of the first capacitor
\(C_2\) is the capacitance of the second capacitor
\(C_x\) is the capacitance of the x-th capacitor

What are Capacitors in Series?

Capacitors in series are defined as 2 or more capacitors in a circuit that are connected in series. That is, the current has to flow through the first capacitor before it can get to subsequent capacitors.

Example Calculation 1

Let's assume the following values:

Capacitance of Capacitor 1 (\(C_1\)) = 10 µF
Capacitance of Capacitor 2 (\(C_2\)) = 20 µF

Using the formula:

\[ \frac{1}{C} = \frac{1}{10} + \frac{1}{20} = 0.15 \]

So, the total capacitance is:

\[ C = \frac{1}{0.15} = 6.67 \text{ µF} \]

The total capacitance is 6.67 µF.

Example Calculation 2

Let's assume the following values:

Capacitance of Capacitor 1 (\(C_1\)) = 5 µF
Capacitance of Capacitor 2 (\(C_2\)) = 10 µF
Capacitance of Capacitor 3 (\(C_3\)) = 15 µF

Using the formula:

\[ \frac{1}{C} = \frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{10} + \frac{1}{15} = 0.3667 \]

So, the total capacitance is:

\[ C = \frac{1}{0.3667} = 2.73 \text{ µF} \]

The total capacitance is 2.73 µF.