Which statement is true regarding capacitors in a series circuit?

In a series circuit, the behavior of capacitors differs from that of resistors. When capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is determined by the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances. This relationship can be expressed mathematically as:

[ \frac{1}{C_{total}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + \frac{1}{C_3} + \ldots ]

This formula signifies that the overall capacitance lessens as more capacitors are added in series, which is contrary to how resistors operate, where their total resistance simply adds up.

In contrast, the total capacitance not being the sum of individual capacitances highlights the distinction between series and parallel configurations. The independence of capacitance from resistance acknowledges that resistance does not influence the capacitance in a capacitor directly, but rather affects how quickly it can charge or discharge. As for the voltage across each capacitor, it is not the same in a series configuration; the voltage is shared based on the individual capacitances, meaning they can vary.

Thus, the statement regarding the total capacitance being the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals