- 1). Calculate the resultant capacity of two capacitors in series with the formula 1/result = 1/first + 1/second. For example, if two capacitors are in series and one is 200 picofarads while the other is 300 picofarads, the resultant can be calculated in a few steps. Resultant capacity = 1/(1/first capacity + 1/second capacity) = 1/(1/200 + 1/300) = 1/(3/600 + 2/600) = 1/(5/600) = 600/5 = 120 picofarads. This formula can be extended to three or more capacitors in the obvious way: 1/result = 1/first + 1/second + 1/third.
- 2). Add the capacities of two capacitors in parallel. For example, if capacitors C1 and C2 are connected in parallel and both capacitors are 50 picofarads, then the resultant capacity is 50 + 50 = 100 picofarads. Extend this formula in the obvious way by adding as many capacitors as needed. For example, five capacitors of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 picofarads connected in parallel would have a resultant capacity of C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 + C5 = 10 + 20 + 30 + 40 + 50 = 150 picofarads.
- 3). Find the resultant capacity of a complex network that contains both parallel and series capacitors by mentally, or mathematically, replacing substructures with equivalent capacity until there is only one capacitor. This is the resultant capacity. For example, suppose there is a network of three capacitors, where each capacitor is 30 picofarads, and the capacitors are connected so one of them is in series with the other two in parallel. In other words, current flows through one capacitor then splits up to go through the other two.
- 4). Replace the two parallel capacitors with the equivalent which would be 30 + 30 = 60 picofarads, to calculate the capacity of this network. The network is equivalent to two capacitors -- one 30 picofarads and the other 60 picofarads. The capacity of this network is 1/(1/30 + 1/60) = 1/(3/60).= 60/3 = 20 picofarads. Therefore, the resultant capacity for the network is 20 picofarads.
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