General Physics Lab 112 page 1 of 5

Experiment 6: Combination of Capacitors

OBJECTIVES
 To measure the capacitance of a capacitor.
 To determine the equivalent capacitance of a combination of capacitors in series (Cs) and in
parallel (Cp).

INTRODUCTION
Capacitors may be connected in series and in parallel. We can calculate the equivalent capacitance of
certain combinations using methods described in this experiment. The capacitance of the capacitor is
defined as the ratio of the charge on conducting plate to the potential difference across them.
Q
C (1)
V
Throughout this section, we assume the capacitors to be combined are initially uncharged.
a) Series Combination
In Figure 1, two capacitors C1 and C2 are connected in series. The charges on capacitors connected in
series are the same.
Q  Q1  Q 2 (2)

The individual voltages V1 and V2 across the capacitors add to give the total voltage V across the
combination:
V  V1  V2 (3)

Q Q1 Q2
  (4)
Ceq C1 C2

Canceling the charges because they are all the same gives
1 1 1
  (5)
Ceq C1 C2

Figure (1)
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b) Parallel Combination
Two capacitors connected as shown in Figure 2 are known as a parallel combination of capacitors. The
individual potential differences across capacitors connected in parallel are the same and are equal to the
potential difference applied across the combination. That is,
V  V1  V2 (6)

The total charge Q stored by the two capacitors is the sum of the charges on the individual capacitors:
Q  Q1  Q2 (7)

Ceq V  C1V1  C2V2 (8)

Ceq  C1  C2 (9)

where we have canceled the voltages because they are all the same.

Figure (2)

Equipment:
 Three capacitors (100 F, 200 F, 300 F)
 DC power supply (3 volt)
 Multimeter

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Procedure:
Measure the capacitance of unknown capacitor by using the circuit shown in Figure 3.
b a

mA 

Figure (3)

1. Close the right circuit by moving the switch to (a) in order to charge the capacitor C0 of known
capacitance.
2. Open the right circuit and close the left on by moving the switch to (b).
3. Record the maximum reading of the millimeter (maximum deflection).
4. Repeat step 3 three times.
5. Replace the capacitor C0 by C1 and C2. Measure and record the maximum deflections D1 and D2.
Record the results in Tables 2 and 3.
6. Connect C1 and C2 in series. Measure and record the maximum deflection Ds. Record the results in
Table 4.
7. Connect C1 and C2 in series. Measure and record the maximum deflection Dp. Record the results in
Table 5.

Analysis:
1. Calculate the average value of the deflection D0 . Record values in Table 1. Use the capacitor C0 as a
reference capacitor.
2. Since the current deflection D is proportional to the capacitance ( D  C ), we can write
C D
 (10)
C0 D 0
Use equation (10) to calculate C1, C2, Cs, and Cp.
3. Complete Tables (2, 3, 4, and 5).
4. Calculate the average value of C1, C2, Cs, and Cp.
5. Compare between the experimental and theoretical values of Cs and Cp. 4. Calculate the percentage
error for the experimental values.
6. State the source of errors in this experiment.

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Table 1: The maximum deflection D0.

Capacitance C0 = 100 F)

Trial D0
1 0.21
2 0.20
3 0.19
D0

Table 2: The maximum deflection D1.

Trial D1 C1 (F)
1 0.4
2 0.38
3 0.36

C1 =-----------------------

Table 3: The maximum deflection D2.

Trial D2 C2 (F)
1 0.6
2 0.59
3 0.58

C2 =-----------------------
Table 4: The maximum deflection Ds.

Trial Ds Cs (F)
1 0.24
2 0.22
3 0.23

Cs =-----------------------

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Table 5: The maximum deflection Dp.

Trial Dp Cp (F)
1 1.01
2 0.96
3 0.98

C p =-----------------------

Questions
1. For the circuit shown below, if the maximum deflection is 0.4 and it was 0.2 for a reference capacitor of
capacitance (100 F). Calculate the capacitance C.
b a

mA 400 F 

2. What is the equivalent capacitance of a 10 F capacitor and a 20 F capacitor connected in parallel, and
then connected in series to a 30 F capacitor as shown below.

3. An 8F capacitor is connected in parallel to another capacitor, producing a total capacitance of 5F.
a) What is the capacitance of the second capacitor?

b) What is unreasonable about this result?