Final answer:
When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance of the combination is calculated by taking the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances. For capacitors connected in parallel, the total capacitance is equal to the sum of the individual capacitances.
Step-by-step explanation:
When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance of the combination can be calculated by taking the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances. For example, if you have two capacitors in series with capacitances C1 and C2, the equivalent capacitance (Ce) is given by 1/Ce = 1/C1 + 1/C2.
On the other hand, when capacitors are connected in parallel, the total capacitance of the combination is simply the sum of the individual capacitances. For example, if you have two capacitors in parallel with capacitances C1 and C2, the equivalent capacitance (Ce) is given by Ce = C1 + C2.