Question

Compared with the individual capacitors in a parallel combination, how large is the equivalent capacitance?

Options

• Always greater than the largest individual capacitor

• Always equal to the reciprocal of the largest individual capacitor

• Always less than the smallest individual capacitor

• Always equal to the smallest individual capacitor

Answer 1

In parallel, capacitances add directly. The equivalent capacitance is therefore greater than any one of the individual capacitances.