When one plate of each capacitor is connected to the + ve terminal of the supply mains and other plate of each capacitor to the – ve terminal of the supply mains, as shown the capacitors are said to be connected n parallel.

Let such combination consisting of three capacitors of capacitances C₁, C₂,C₃ respectively be connected across a potential difference of V volts.


Potential difference across each capacitor
= P.D. applied across the combination
Now charge on the capacitor of capacitance, C₁,  Q₁ =  C₁ V

Similarly charge on the capacitor of capacitance C₂, Q₂ = C₂ V

and charge on the capacitor of capacitance, C₃, Q₃ = C₃ V

If is the equivalent capacitance of the system then total charge drawn,

                 Q = CV = Q₁ + Q₂ + Q₃
or              CV = C₁V +C₂V + C₃V
or                C = C₁ + C₂ + C₃

Thus when number of capacitors are connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance of the system is given by the arithmetic sum of their individual capacitances.

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