Capacitors in Parallel - Capacitors & Stored Charge Step by Step

Parallel capacitors share voltage, so their charge capacities add. Exact arithmetic here means exact results for the stated model inputs; measured inputs still carry uncertainty and significant-figure limits.

highlighted = computed this step

Parallel capacitors share voltage

Parallel capacitors connect to the same two nodes, so they share voltage.

V_a = V_b

Add capacitances in parallel

The capacitances are 2 farads and 3 farads.

C_{\text{eq}} = 2\ \text{F} + 3\ \text{F}

Compute equivalent capacitance

The equivalent capacitance is 5 farads.

C_{\text{eq}} = 5\ \text{F}

Parallel addition keeps adding storage

Each row connects two capacitors across the same buses. The diagram shows the middle row, where direct addition gives the equivalent capacitance.

\begin{array}{c|c|c}C_a&C_b&C_{\text{eq}}\\1\ \text{F}&2\ \text{F}&3\ \text{F}\\2\ \text{F}&3\ \text{F}&5\ \text{F}\\3\ \text{F}&4\ \text{F}&7\ \text{F}\\\end{array}