Nate Electrical Practice Exam

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What is the total capacitance of two 20-microfarad capacitors wired in series?

5 mf
10 mf
20 mf
40 mf

The correct answer is: 10 mf

The total capacitance of capacitors connected in series is calculated using the formula: 1 / Ct = 1 / C1 + 1 / C2 Where Ct is the total capacitance, and C1 and C2 are the capacitances of the individual capacitors. In this case, since both capacitors are 20 microfarads, the computation would be: 1 / Ct = 1 / 20 µF + 1 / 20 µF This simplifies to: 1 / Ct = 0.05 + 0.05 = 0.1 Taking the reciprocal gives: Ct = 1 / 0.1 = 10 µF Thus, the total capacitance of two 20-microfarad capacitors wired in series is indeed 10 microfarads. Understanding this concept is crucial because it highlights how the configuration of capacitors directly affects their total capacitance; when capacitors are in series, their overall capacitance decreases compared to individual values, contrasting with parallel configurations where capacitance adds up.