Final answer:
The total capacitance of capacitors connected in parallel increases, as it is the sum of individual capacitances. Capacitance is a property independent of plate charge, and capacitors with different plate areas do not acquire the same charge. More parallel capacitors increase the circuit's stored energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
When two or more capacitors are connected in parallel across a potential difference, the total capacitance increases. This happens because the overall capacitance of a parallel circuit is simply the sum of all individual capacitances. For instance, if three capacitors with capacitances of C1, C2, and C3 are connected in parallel, and the voltage (V) across each capacitor is the same, the total charge (Q) is the sum of the individual charges, thereby increasing the effective capacitance (Cp) of the circuit. It's important to note that in parallel, all the capacitors experience the same voltage, which results in an additive effect of their capacitances.
Additionally, the value of the capacitance is not zero even if the plates are not charged; it's a property that depends on the geometry and dielectric of the capacitor. When the plates of a capacitor have different areas and are connected across a battery, they will not acquire the same charge. Finally, when you increase the number of capacitors in parallel, the stored energy in the circuit also increases as each additional capacitor can store more charge at the same voltage.