When capacitors are connected in series, how is the total capacitance calculated?

When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is determined by taking the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals of each individual capacitor's capacitance. This relationship arises because, in a series circuit, the charge (Q) on each capacitor remains the same while the total voltage (V) across the capacitors is the sum of the individual voltages across each capacitor.

The formula that describes this relationship is:

1/C_total = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + 1/C3 + ...

Where C_total is the equivalent capacitance of the series connection, and C1, C2, C3, etc., are the individual capacitances of each capacitor in the series. This method allows us to account for the way capacitors behave differently in a series configuration compared to parallel, where capacitances are simply added together.

As a result, option B is the correct choice, as it accurately describes the correct formula used to calculate the total capacitance for capacitors in series. This fundamental principle is essential for understanding how capacitors interact in various circuit configurations.