There are two different ways to connect two or more electrical devices together in a

circuit. They can be connected by means of series connections or by means of parallel

connections. When all the devices in a circuit are connected by series connections, then the
circuit is referred to as a series circuit. When all the devices in a circuit are connected by
parallel connections, then the circuit is referred to as a parallel circuit. A third type of circuit
involves the dual use of series and parallel connections in a circuit; such circuits are referred to
as compound circuits or combination circuits.  The circuit depicted is an example of the use of
both series and parallel connections within the same circuit. In this case, light bulbs A and B are
connected by parallel connections and light bulbs C and
D are connected by series connections. This is an example
of a combination circuit.

When analyzing combination circuits, it is critically important to have a solid understanding of

the concepts that pertain to both series circuits and parallel circuits. Since both types of
connections are used in combination circuits, the concepts associated with both types of circuits
apply to the respective parts of the circuit. The main concepts associated with series and
parallel circuits are organized in the table shown.

Series Circuits Parallel Circuits

 The total capacitance is less than any  The total capacitance is the sum of the
one of the series capacitors’ individual individual capacitors’ capacitance.
capacitances.  If two or more capacitors are
 If two or more capacitors are connected connected in parallel, the overall effect
in series, the overall effect is that of a is that of a single equivalent capacitor
single (equivalent) capacitor having the having the sum total of the plate areas
sum total of the plate spacings of the of the individual capacitors.
individual capacitors.  An increase in plate area, with all other
 An increase in plate spacing, with all factors unchanged, results in increased
other factors unchanged, results in capacitance.
decreased capacitance.  The overall capacitance of the collection
 The equivalent or overall capacitance of of capacitances is equal to the sum of
the collection of capacitances is given by the individual capacitance values,
the equation:  Ctotal = C1 + C2 +... Cn
Ctotal = 1/C1 + 1/C2 +... 1/Cn 
REVIEW:
 Capacitances diminish in series.
 Capacitances add in parallel.

Equivalent Capacitance
The equivalent capacitance represents the combination of all capacitance values in a given
circuit, and can be found by summing all individual capacitances in the circuit based on the
relationships between these capacitors. In particular, we can have capacitors in parallel or in
series. We will observe that when capacitors are placed in parallel, the equivalent capacitance
of the circuit will increase, and when capacitors are placed in series, the equivalent capacitance
of the circuit will decrease.

Capacitor networks are usually some combination of series and parallel connections, as shown
in the figure.

To find the net capacitance of such combinations, we identify parts that contain only series or
only parallel connections and find their equivalent capacitances. We repeat this process until we
can determine the equivalent capacitance of the entire network. The following example
illustrates this process.

Figure
(a) This circuit contains both series and parallel connections of capacitors.
(b) C1 and C2 are in series; their equivalent capacitance is Cs
(c) The equivalent capacitance Cs is connected in parallel with C3

Thus, the equivalent capacitance of the entire network is the sum of Cs and C3.

Find the total capacitance of the combination of capacitors shown in the figure.

Assume the capacitances are known to three decimal places (C1=1.000μF, C2=5.000μF,
C3=8.000μF). Round your answer to three decimal places.

Strategy:
We first identify which capacitors are in series and which are in parallel. Capacitors C1 and C2
are in series. Their combination, labeled Cs is in parallel with C3.
Solution:
Since C1 and C2 are in series, their equivalent capacitance Cs is obtained with the equation:

Therefore, Cs=0.833μF.

Capacitance Cs is connected in parallel with the third capacitance C3, so we use equation to
find the equivalent capacitance C of the entire network:

Ctotal =CS+C3
= 0.833μF + 8.000μF
= 8.833μF.