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A circuit contains three capacitors in series: 3μF, 6μF, and 2μF. Another branch has two capacitors in series: 4μF and 4μF. These two branches are in parallel. What is the total capacitance?

Physics

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Step-by-step solution

4 steps

B

  1. Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the top series branch.

    The capacitors are 3μF3\mu\text{F}, 6μF6\mu\text{F}, and 2μF2\mu\text{F} in series.
    For capacitors in series, the reciprocal of the equivalent capacitance is the sum of the reciprocals of individual capacitances.

    1Ctop=13μF+16μF+12μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{top}}} = \frac{1}{3\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{6\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{2\mu\text{F}} 1Ctop=26μF+16μF+36μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{top}}} = \frac{2}{6\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{6\mu\text{F}} + \frac{3}{6\mu\text{F}} 1Ctop=2+1+36μF=66μF=11μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{top}}} = \frac{2+1+3}{6\mu\text{F}} = \frac{6}{6\mu\text{F}} = \frac{1}{1\mu\text{F}} Ctop=1μFC_{\text{top}} = 1\mu\text{F}
  2. Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the bottom series branch.

    The capacitors are 4μF4\mu\text{F} and 4μF4\mu\text{F} in series.

    1Cbottom=14μF+14μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{bottom}}} = \frac{1}{4\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{4\mu\text{F}} 1Cbottom=24μF=12μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{bottom}}} = \frac{2}{4\mu\text{F}} = \frac{1}{2\mu\text{F}} Cbottom=2μFC_{\text{bottom}} = 2\mu\text{F}
  3. Calculate the equivalent capacitance of the parallel combination of the top and bottom branches.

    For capacitors in parallel, the equivalent capacitance is the sum of individual capacitances.

    Cparallel=Ctop+CbottomC_{\text{parallel}} = C_{\text{top}} + C_{\text{bottom}} Cparallel=1μF+2μFC_{\text{parallel}} = 1\mu\text{F} + 2\mu\text{F} Cparallel=3μFC_{\text{parallel}} = 3\mu\text{F}
  4. Calculate the total effective capacitance of the circuit.

    The 2μF2\mu\text{F} capacitor on the left, CparallelC_{\text{parallel}}, and the 2μF2\mu\text{F} capacitor on the right are all in series.

    1Ceffective=12μF+1Cparallel+12μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{effective}}} = \frac{1}{2\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{C_{\text{parallel}}} + \frac{1}{2\mu\text{F}} 1Ceffective=12μF+13μF+12μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{effective}}} = \frac{1}{2\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{3\mu\text{F}} + \frac{1}{2\mu\text{F}}

    Find a common denominator, which is 6μF6\mu\text{F}.

    1Ceffective=36μF+26μF+36μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{effective}}} = \frac{3}{6\mu\text{F}} + \frac{2}{6\mu\text{F}} + \frac{3}{6\mu\text{F}} 1Ceffective=3+2+36μF=86μF=43μF\frac{1}{C_{\text{effective}}} = \frac{3+2+3}{6\mu\text{F}} = \frac{8}{6\mu\text{F}} = \frac{4}{3\mu\text{F}} Ceffective=34μFC_{\text{effective}} = \frac{3}{4}\mu\text{F} Ceffective=0.75μFC_{\text{effective}} = 0.75\mu\text{F}

    The effective capacitance is 0.75μF0.75\mu\text{F}. This matches option B.

    The final answer is 0.75\muF\boxed{\text{0.75\mu F}}.

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