Series and Parallel Circuits of Capacitors and How to Calculate Them

Series and Parallel Circuits of Capacitors and How to Calculate Them – Capacitor (Condenser) is Electronic Components that function to store Electric Charges in relative time with the unit being Farad. Farad value variations are very large ranging from a few pico Farad (pF) to thousands of Micro Farad (μF) so that it is impossible for capacitor component manufacturers to provide all the variations in capacitor values ​​desired by Electronic Circuit designers.

Under certain conditions, Production Engineers or Electronics hobbyists may also experience problems not finding the desired Capacitor Value on the Market. Therefore, we need a series circuit or a parallel capacitor circuit to get the most suitable capacitor capacitance value for the electronic circuit. What is meant by Capacitance in Electronics is a measure of the ability of a component or in this case a Capacitor to store electric charge.

The following below are Standard Capacitance values for Fixed Capacitors that are common and can be found in the Market:

According to the table above, only about 133 values of Standard Fixed Capacitors are common and can be found in the Market. So what if the most suitable capacitance value for our Electronics circuit is not found on the Market or is not a Fixed Capacitor Standard value? The answer is to use a series circuit or parallel circuit capacitor.

The Series Circuit of Capacitor (Condenser)

Capacitor Series Circuit is a circuit consisting of 2 and more capacitors arranged in parallel or in series. As is the case with Parallel Circuits, Series Capacitor Circuits can also be used to obtain the desired replacement capacitor capacitance value. However, the calculation of the Series Circuit for this Capacitor is more complicated and difficult than the Parallel Circuit of the Capacitor.

The formula for the Parallel Capacitor (Condenser) circuit is:

1/Ctotal = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + 1/C3 + 1/C4 + …. + 1/Cn

Where :

Ctotal = Total Capacitor Capacitance Value

C1 = 1st Capacitor

C2 = 2nd Capacitor

C3 = 3rd Capacitor

C4 = 4th Capacitor

Cn = nth Capacitor

Case Example to calculate Capacitor Series Circuit

An engineer wants to make a Jig Tester with one of the most suitable capacitor capacitance values for his circuit is 500pF, but the 500pF value is not on the market. So the Engineer uses 2 Capacitors with a value of 1000pF which he then assembles into a Capacitor Series Circuit to get the value he wants.

Solution:

2 pieces of capacitors with a value of 1000pF

1/Ctotal = 1/C1 + 1/C2

1/Ctotal = 1/1000 + 1/1000

1/Ctotal = 2/1000

2 x Total = 1 x 1000

Ctotal = 1000/2

Ctotal = 500pF

The Parallel Circuit of Capacitor (Condenser)

The Parallel Capacitor of Circuit is a circuit consisting of 2 or more capacitors arranged in a row or in parallel form. By using this capacitor parallel circuit, we can find the desired replacement capacitance value.

The formula for the Parallel Capacitor (Condenser) circuit is:

Ctotal = C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 + …. + Cn

Where :

Ctotal = Total Capacitor Capacitance Value

C1 = 1st Capacitor

C2 = 2nd Capacitor

C3 = 3rd Capacitor

C4 = 4th Capacitor

Cn = nth Capacitor

Case Example to calculate Capacitor Parallel Circuit

An Electronic Circuit Designer wants to design Electronic Equipment, one of the required Capacitance values is 2500pF, but that value cannot be found in the Electronic Components Market. Therefore, the Electronics Designer uses Parallel Circuits to get the capacitance value he wants.

Solution:

1 piece of capacitor with a value of 1500pF

1 piece of capacitor with a value of 1000pF

Ctotal = C1 + C2

Ctotal = 1500pF + 1000pF

Ctotal = 2500pF

Also Read :

Series and Parallel Resistors

and

Parallel VS Series Batteries