Final answer:
To determine the equivalent capacitance for a network of capacitors, one must calculate the series and parallel capacitors separately using their respective formulas, adding series capacitances inversely and parallel capacitances directly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked to determine the equivalent capacitance of a network of capacitors when C = 15 mF. To find the total capacitance, we need to look at whether capacitors are in series or parallel and use the appropriate formulas. For capacitors in series, the inverse of the total capacitance is the sum of the inverses of the individual capacitances. For capacitors in parallel, the total capacitance is simply the sum of the individual capacitances.
In the given combination, if the network is equivalent to two capacitors in series as mentioned, we would use the formula for capacitors in series to calculate the combined capacitance. The formula is:
1/Cs = 1/C1 + 1/C2
Once you find the equivalent series capacitance (Cs), you then add it to any capacitor that is in parallel with this combination. For example:
C = Cs + C3
Therefore, the equivalent capacitance C of the entire network would be found by calculating the series equivalent first and then adding the parallel capacitance to it.