MHT CET202615 April 2026Morning ShiftPhysicsCapacitanceActual
The potential difference that must be applied across the parallel and series combination of three identical capacitors such that the energy stored in them becomes the same. The ratio of potential difference in parallel to series combination is
Options
- A1:3
- B3:1
- C9:1
- D1:9
Correct answer
A. 1:3
Step-by-step solution
Let the capacitance of each identical capacitor be C . For the parallel combination, the equivalent capacitance is C_p = 3C . The energy stored in the parallel combination when a potential difference V_p is applied is U_p = 1 2 C_p V_p^2 = 1 2 (3C)V_p^2 . For the series combination, the equivalent capacitance is C_s = C 3 . The energy stored in the series combination when a potential difference V_s is applied is U_s = 1 2 C_s V_s^2 = 1 2 ( C 3 )V_s^2 . Given that the energy stored in both combinations is the same,