In the circuit shown below, four capacitors are connected between terminals A and B. The capacitances are given as C₁ = C₂ = C₃ = C₄ = 12 F . What is the equivalent capacitance between terminals A and B?

Step-by-step solution

From the circuit diagram, nodes X, Y, and Z are connected by ideal wires, meaning they are at the same potential. Capacitor C₃ is connected between nodes X and Y. Since V_X = V_Y , the potential difference across C₃ is zero, so it is short-circuited and can be removed. Capacitors C₁ and C₂ are connected in parallel between terminal A and the common node Z. Their equivalent capacitance is: C₁₂ = C₁ + C₂ = 12 + 12 = 24 F This combination is in series with C₄ between node Z and terminal B. The total equivalent capacit