About the Series Parallel Capacitor Calculator
What is the Series Parallel Capacitor Calculator?
Capacitors combine the opposite way to resistors. For capacitors in series and parallel, parallel values simply add, while series values combine by reciprocals.
Enter the capacitances in microfarads, separated by commas or spaces.
How to use the Series Parallel Capacitor Calculator
- Capacitor Values in µF (separate with commas or spaces) (sample: 10, 22, 47)
- Press Combine Capacitors (results also refresh as you type). The result card shows the Parallel Capacitance, along with Series capacitance, Capacitors combined and Voltage rating.
Formula used
Parallel: C = C1 + C2 + …; Series: 1/C = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + …
Series connection raises the voltage rating but reduces capacitance.
Worked example
These are the sample values already filled in the calculator above, and the result it returns for them:
| Input | Sample value |
|---|---|
| Capacitor Values in µF (separate with commas or spaces) | 10, 22, 47 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Parallel Capacitance | 79 µF |
| Series capacitance | 5.9977 µF |
| Capacitors combined | 3 |
| Voltage rating | In series, voltage divides inversely with capacitance; in parallel, the lowest rating applies to all |
Tips for using the Series Parallel Capacitor Calculator
- When connecting electrolytics in series, add balancing resistors so voltage shares evenly.
- Parallel capacitors lower overall ESR, useful in power supplies.