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Effective Capacitance Calculator

Formula

To calculate the Effective Capacitance for capacitors in series:

$C_s = \frac{1}{\frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + \frac{1}{C_3}}$

What is Effective Capacitance?

Effective capacitance refers to the total capacitance of a combination of capacitors connected either in series or parallel. In a series configuration, the effective capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitor in the series. In a parallel configuration, the effective capacitance is the sum of all individual capacitances, resulting in a higher total capacitance.

Example Calculation 1

Let's assume the following values:

Capacitance C1 = 10 μF
Capacitance C2 = 20 μF
Capacitance C3 = 30 μF

Using the formula:

$C_s = \frac{1}{\frac{1}{10} + \frac{1}{20} + \frac{1}{30}}$

The Effective Capacitance is 5.45 μF.

Example Calculation 2

Let's assume the following values:

Capacitance C1 = 5 μF
Capacitance C2 = 10 μF
Capacitance C3 = 15 μF

Using the formula:

$C_s = \frac{1}{\frac{1}{5} + \frac{1}{10} + \frac{1}{15}}$

The Effective Capacitance is 2.73 μF.