How do you calculate the total capacitance of three capacitors in parallel?

To find the total capacitance of capacitors connected in parallel, the standard formula is to sum their individual capacitances. This is because, in a parallel configuration, each capacitor contributes to the overall capacitance by allowing more charge to be stored as the voltage across each capacitor remains the same.

When capacitors are in parallel, the total capacitance (CT) is simply the algebraic sum of the capacitances of each individual capacitor (C1, C2, C3). Therefore, if you have three capacitors, you would add them together as follows: CT = C1 + C2 + C3. This is a fundamental property of capacitors in parallel and reflects how they work together to enhance energy storage in a circuit.

In contrast, the other formulas provided do not apply to capacitors in parallel. The formula that multiplies the capacitances (C1 x C2 x C3) applies to capacitors in series, where the overall capacitance decreases as additional capacitors are added. The option that averages the capacitances is also not applicable since total capacitance does not correspond to the average of the individual capacitances. Lastly, the formula that uses reciprocal values is also specifically for calculating total capacitance in series configurations, not