Final answer:
For capacitors connected in series, the charge on each capacitor is equal, despite their differing capacitances, due to the conservation of charge in the circuit.
Step-by-step explanation:
When capacitors are connected in series, the charge on each capacitor must be the same due to the conservation of charge in the circuit. This principle is a fundamental characteristic of capacitors in series, as the charge removed from one plate of the first capacitor is placed onto a neighboring plate of the second capacitor and so on.
The total (equivalent) capacitance of capacitors in series can be calculated using the formula: 1/Cs = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + 1/C3. This results in a total capacitance that is less than the smallest individual capacitance in the series. However, the actual charge stored by each capacitor (q1, q2, q3) is constrained to be identical across all capacitors in series, regardless of their individual capacitances.
Therefore, the correct relationship between the charges on each capacitor when fully charged is: q1 = q2 = q3.