Network Solving.

To solve capacitive network for equivalent capacitance following guidelines should be followed.
Guideline 1. Identify the two points across which the equivalent capacitance is to be calculated.
Guideline 2. Connect (Imagine) a battery between these points.
Guideline 3. Solve the network from the point (reference point) which is farthest from the points between which
we have to calculate the equivalent capacitance. (The point is likely to be not a node)
(1) Simple circuits : Suppose equivalent capacitance is to be determined in the following networks between points A and B

Suppose equivalent capacitance is to be determined in the following networks between points A and B
(i)
36 C  2  3  5 F
 2 F 2F AB
36
6F 3F 6F
3F
 
A 3F B

A B A B
3F 3F

(ii) 3 + 3 = 6F
6
6F 6F 3F  3 F C  3  2  5 μF
AB
2
  3F
 6F
3F 6F 6F
6F 6F 6F
3F 6F
6
 3 F
2 A B A 2F B A 2F B
A 2F B 2F

(iii)
Series
9F 9F 9F 9F 9F 9F 9F 9F
A A A
9
6F +  3 F+ 6F 6F 3F
6F 9F 6F 6F 9F
 –
3 –

B B B
9F 9F 9F 9F 9F Parallel
9F 9F 9F
 6 + 3 = 9F
9F 9F
A

+ 9F
By similar process CAB = 3F  –
6F

B
9F 9F

(2) Circuits with extra wire : If there is no capacitor in any branch of a network then every point of this branch will be at
same potential. Suppose equivalent capacitance is to be determine in following cases
(i)
A A C
C C C C C C
 B B  A
C
B
A B A A A B C
B B
+ –
 CAB = 3C
(ii) A A B No p.d.
C C C
  across
C C
A B A B A B vertical
C C C
B branch so it
A A CAB = 2C
is removed
(iii) C C C
A B
  C
C C A B
C
A B A B
C C B
A + –
CAB = 3C
(iv) C C C C C
A B
  C C

C C C
A B A B A B
Parallel
A B
C A C C + C = 2C + –

Hence equivalent capacitance Parallel Series
C
5C 2C/3
between A and B is 2C
C 
5C  2C 2C  C 2C
3 3 3 
C C 2C  C 3
A B A B

+ – + –
(v) Since there is no capacitor in the path APB, the points A, P and B are electrically same i.e., the input and output
C C
points are directly connected (short circuited).
Thus, entire charge will prefer to flow along path APB. It means that
C  the capacitors connected in the circuit will not receive any charge for
A B
storing. Thus equivalent capacitance of this circuit is zero.
P
(3) Wheatstone bride based circuit : If in a network five capacitors are arranged as shown in following figure, the
C C
network is called wheatstone bridge type circuit. If it is balanced then 1  3 hence C5 is removed and equivalent
C2 C4
capacitance between A and B
(i) (ii) (iii) C1
D
D
C1 C2 C5 C2
C1 C2 E
A D B
C5 C5 C3
C5 A B
A B
C3 C4
C3 C4 C4
E E
C1 C 2 C3C4
C AB  
C1  C 2 C 3  C 4

(4) Extended wheatstone bridge : The given figure consists of two wheatstone bridge connected together. One bridge is
connected between points AEGHFA and the other is connected between points EGBHFE.
This problem is known as extended wheatstone bridge problem, it has two branches EF and GH to the left and right of
which symmetry in the ratio of capacities can be seen.
It can be seen that ratio of capacitances in branches AE and EG is same as that between the capacitances of the branches
AF and FH. Thus, in the bridge AEGHFA; the branch EF can be removed. Similarly in the bridge EGBHFE branch GH can be
removed
 C C C C C C
E G E G

C C 
A B A B
2C
C F C
H C C F C
H C C AB 
3

(5) Infinite chain of capacitors : In the following figure equivalent capacitance between A and B
(i)
A Suppose the effective capacitance between A and B is CR.
C1 C1 C1 Since the network is infinite, even if we remove one pair of
C2 C2 C2  capacitors from the chain, remaining network would still
have infinite pair of capacitors, i.e., effective capacitance
B
between X and Y would also be CR

C1 X C1
A A Series
Parallel

CR C2 C1 (C 2  C R )
CR (C2 + CR)  CR (C2 + CR)
C1  C 2  C R

B B
Y
Hence equivalent capacitance between A and B

C 1 (C 2  C R ) C2   C  
C AB   CR  C AB   1  4 1   1 
C1  C 2  C R 2   C2  

(ii) For what value of C0 in the circuit shown below will the net effective capacitance between A and B be
independent of the number of sections in the chain
A C1 C1 C1 C1 C
Suppose there are n sections between A and B and
the network is terminated by C0 with equivalent
C2 C2 C2 C2 C0 capacitance CR. Now if we add one more sections to
the network between D and C (as shown in the
following figure), the equivalent capacitance of the
B D
A C C1  network CR will be independent of number of
Parallel
sections if the capacitance between D and C still
CR C0 C2 C0 C2 + C0 remains C0 i.e.,
C 1  (C 2  C 0 ) 2
Hence C 0   C 0  C 2 C 0  C1 C 2  0
B D
C1  C 2  C 0

C2   C  
On simplification C 0   1  4 1   1 
2   C2  

(6) Network with more than one cell :
(i)
E1 E1 – E2
 C2 
Potential difference across C1 is   (E1  E 2 )
C1 C2
 C1 C2  C1  C 2 
and potential difference across C2 is
 C1 
E2   (E1  E 2 )
 C1  C 2 
 (ii) Potential difference between the ends of this arrangement is given V. (E – V)
C1 E C2
+ –
C1 C2 A B
E 
A B 

+ –
V C1 C2

(7) Advance case of compound dielectrics : If several dielectric medium filled between the plates of a parallel plate
capacitor in different ways as shown.

(i) The system can be assumed to be made up of two capacitors C1 and C2 which may be
1 2
said to connected in series
K1 K2 K1 0 A K  A 1 1 1  2K1 K 2  0 A
A C1  , C 2  2 0 and    C eq    .
d d C eq C1 C 2  K1  K 2  d
2 2
d/ d/ 2 K1 K 2
2 2 Also K eq 
K1  K 2

(ii) In this case these two capacitors are in parallel and

1 K1 0 A K  A
A/2 C1  , C2  2 0
K1 2d 2d
 K  K2  0 A
A/2
K2 Hence, C eq  C 1  C 2  C eq   1 .
2
 2  d
d K1  K 2
Also K eq 
2
(iii) In this case C1 and C2 are in series while this combination is in parallel with C3
A A A
K1 0 K1 0 K 3 0
C3
C1 
K  A
2  1 0 , C  K  A
2  2 0 and C  2  K 3 0 A
A/2 2 3
K3 d d d d d 2d
2 2 2
A/2 K1 K2 k 1 0 A k 2  0 A
C22 C1 C 2 
C1
d d k  A  k k k   A
d/ d/ Hence, C eq   C3   3 0  C eq   1 2  3  . 0
C1  C 2 k 1 0 A k 2  0 A 2d  k1  k 2 2  d
2 2 
d d
k k k 
Also k eq   3  1 2 
 2 k1  k 2 