Capacitor in Parallel: Equivalent Capacitance?

📌 CONCEPT: When capacitors are connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance is the sum of the individual capacitances, and the charge stored in each capacitor is the same and equal to the total charge supplied by the battery.

📐 RULE / FORMULA: The formula to calculate the equivalent capacitance (Ceq) of capacitors connected in parallel is Ceq = C1 + C2 + ... + Cn, where C1, C2, ..., Cn are the individual capacitances.

💡 WORKED EXAMPLE: Two 4 μF and 6 μF capacitors are connected in parallel across a 12 V battery. The equivalent capacitance is Ceq = 4 μF + 6 μF = 10 μF. The charge stored in each capacitor is Q = Ceq × V = 10 μF × 12 V = 120 μC. Since the capacitors are in parallel, both capacitors store the same charge, 120 μC.

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKE: Students often forget to consider that the charge stored in each capacitor is the same when capacitors are connected in parallel.