Question

When is the effective capacitance of a capacitor increased?

(a) When the capacitors are connected in series

(b) When the capacitors are randomly connected

(c) When the capacitors are connected in parallel

(d) When the capacitors are connected in series and parallel simultaneously

I had been asked this question during an interview.

The origin of the question is Combination of Capacitors in portion Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance of Physics – Class 12

Answer 1

The correct choice is (c) When the capacitors are connected in parallel

Explanation: The effective capacitance of a capacitor is increased when the capacitors are connected in parallel. When the capacitors are connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance is given by:

Cp = C1 + C2 + C3 +…….

When the capacitors are connected in parallel, the potential difference across each capacitor is the same.