Capacitors in Series

Capacitor Networks

This animation shows that two capacitors connected in series are effectively the same thing as one capacitor with plates that have been pulled apart. The larger effective plate separation distance gives a smaller net capacitance, which is why the inverses of the capacitances are additive. Algebraically,

(1/C_net) = (1/C₁) + (1/C₂)
is the same thing as
C_net = (C₁C₂)/(C₁ + C₂).
Note that the two plates and the connecting wire are conductors, and when inserted between the original plates, it is not the same as inserting an insulating dielectric material (which might increase the capacitance).

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