Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa

College of Teacher Education

Part 6
Parallel Connection

1- Open the (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/capacitor-lab)

2- Click on the “Multiple Capacitors” tab.
3- Click on three capacitor in series button.
4- Move the voltage slide to maximum and measure the voltage across the battery with the
voltmeter Vmax=………………………..V. click on three capacitors in parallel.
5- Change the settings on the 3 capacitors to : C 1= 1pF, C2= 2pF, C3= 2.5pF , as shown below

C = 1x10 F, C = 2x10 F, C = 2.5x10 F

1
-13
2
-13 
3
-13 

6- Now measure the voltage across each capacitor.

V1= __1.5 V__            V2=__1.5 V__           V3=__1.5 V__

7- What is the relationship of voltages?

The voltages across each capacitor is the same or equal to each other.

8- Using the stated capacitance (1.0x10 -13 F, 2.0x10-13 F, 2.5x10-13 F) find the charge on each

SCI111- Electricity and Magnetism Prof. Fernando Lorilla

 Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa
College of Teacher Education

Capacitor. q1=__1.5 x10-13 __                  q2=__3 x10-13 __              q3=__3.75 x10-13 __

9- Comment on your results of the stored charge with q1, q2, and q3.

The stored charges in q1, q2 and q3 were increasing depending on the stated capacitance
and it turned out that thee values were different from each other.

10- What is the total capacitance in Farads? Read meter.

The total capacitance in Farads is 0.55 x10-12 F 

11- Use formula to find the total capacitance and compare to bar chart.

Ctotal = C1+C2+C3

= 1.5 x10-13 +3 x10-13 +3.75 x10-13

= 5.5x10-13 F

The total value of the capacitance must always be higher than the greatest value of the
capacitors in the parallel connection, but that is not the case in the bar graph.

SCI111- Electricity and Magnetism Prof. Fernando Lorilla