-Combinations of

Capacitors
-Energy Stored in a
Charged Capacitor
AP Physics C
Mrs. Coyle

Circuit Symbols used in

Circuit Diagrams
Resistor

Capacitors in
Parallel

The potential difference

across the capacitors is the
same.

V V1 V2
The flow of charges ceases
when the voltage across the
capacitors equals that of the
battery.
The total charge of the
capacitors in series is the
sum of the individual
charges.

Q total = Q1 + Q 2

Equivalent
Capacitance for
Capacitors
in
Q total Q1 Q 2
Parallel
Ceq V C1V C2 V

Ceq = C1 + C 2 + ....

Ceq is greater than

any of the individual
capacitors C.
It is as if the areas of
the capacitors were
combined.

Capacitors in Series
Q total Q1 Q 2

Electrons are transferred from

the left plate of C1 to the right
plate of C2 through the battery

An equal amount of negative

charge is removed from the left
plate of C2, leaving it with an
excess positive charge
All of the right plates gain
charges of Q and all the left
plates have charges of +Q

Equivalent
Capacitance for
Capacitors
V V1 V2 in
Series
Q total Q1 Q 2

1
1
1

K
Ceq C1 C2
The equivalent capacitance of a
series combination is always less
than any individual capacitor in the
combination.

Ex: Find the equivalent

capacitance, the charge and
the voltage across in one of
the 2F capacitors.
2 F

6V
3 F

Ans: 8 F, 6 C

4 F

2 F

Ex 26.4: Find the

Equivalent Capacitance

Answer: 6F

Work to Charge a
Capacitor
The work needed to transfer a charge, q,

from one plate to the other through the

battery is:
q
dW Vdq dq
C
The total work required to charge the
capacitor from q=0 to Q is:

q
W
dq
0 C
2
1Q
W
2 C
Q

Energy Stored in a

The work done in charging the capacitor is

Capacitor
stored as electric potential energy U:

Q2 1
1
U
Q V C ( V ) 2
2C 2
2

This applies to a capacitor of any geometry.

The energy stored increases as the charge
increases and as the potential difference
increases.
At a certain maximum voltage, corona discharge
occurs between the plates.

Energy and Energy density

for a Parallel Plate

V Ed
1 oA 2 2
Capacitor
U=
(d E )
1

o A
C
d

C ( V )

2 d
1
2
U o AdE
2

Energy density (energy per unit volume)

U
uE =
Ad
1
2
uE = oE
2