Capacitors in Series & Parallel Calculator
Capacitors can be combined in series or parallel to achieve a desired total capacitance. In parallel, capacitances add directly. In series, the reciprocals add. This calculator computes the total capacitance, stored charge, and stored energy for up to three capacitors in either configuration.
When capacitors are connected in parallel, each capacitor has the same voltage across it, and the total capacitance is simply the sum: Ctotal = C1 + C2 + C3. Parallel capacitors are used to increase capacitance and reduce equivalent series resistance (ESR).
When capacitors are connected in series, each stores the same charge, and the total capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitor: 1/Ctotal = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + 1/C3. Series capacitors are used to increase the voltage rating; the total voltage is shared across all capacitors.
The stored charge is Q = CV and the stored energy is E = ½CV². These quantities are important in power supply design, energy storage applications, and timing circuits. For example, a 1000 μF capacitor charged to 5V stores 12.5 mJ of energy.