- #1
naftacher
- 7
- 1
- Homework Statement
- I have attached an image of this circuit. I must:
1. find the equivalent capacitance of the circuit
2. find the charge on each capacitor
3. find the potential drop on each capacitor
- Relevant Equations
- equivalent capacitance in series: 1/Cseries = 1/C1 ...
equivalent capacitance in parallel: Cparallel = C1 + C2...
I asserted C3, C4, and C5 to be in series. **I found the capacitance of "C3-4-5" to be 1.67x10-6 F. This I did by using 1/C = 1/C3 + 1/C4 + 1/C5
Then I noticed that I had another series circuit of "C3-4-5" and C1, and C2. Again, I used a similar formula. I obtained an equivalent capacitance of 1.0x10-6 F. This number is not 8x10-6F as told by the answer key.
I have been told that: I am incorrectly interpreting who is in series and who is in parallel. This is frustrating. The common image from any physics textbooks would make it seem that C3, C4, and C5 appear to be in series. Likewise, the common series definition "components directly adjacent to one another" applies to C1, C2, and C3.
I do not understand where my logic is wrong to begin with.