Capacitors in series and parallel

[MikeH]

I know that you can place resistors in series to make values you don't have on hand.  Ex 100k + 20k = 120k.  And resistors in parallel are equivalent to 1 divided by the inverse of the sum of the resistors.  Ex. 1 / (1/10+1/10+1/10) ; so 3 10k resistors in parallel will give a total value of about 3,333 or 3.33k.  Anyone who knows how to wire speakers has learned that.

But how do capacitors behave in these instances?  Can you place 2 0.5uf caps in series to make up 1uf?  Thinking back through the beer fog in my brain to my college electro-physics classes, something tells me they don't work that way.

[343 Salty Beans]

capacitors work the opposite way of resistors. In parallel, they add up (like resistors in series). In series, they act like resistors in parallel.

[zpyder]

capacitors work the opposite way of resistors. In parallel, they add up (like resistors in series). In series, they act like resistors in parallel.

+1

Here are a couple decent references on that subject:

http://www.tpub.com/neets/book2/3e.htm

and

http://library.thinkquest.org/16497/circuit/cs/index.html
On the second on, click the links at left to go to caps in series, caps in parallel, resistors in series, resistors in parallel...
pretty handy

zpyder

[petemoore]

pretty handy
  Especially if where the cap position [where you want to reduce a caps value] also happens to go right to an easily accessed offboard wiring like pot/switch...or for installing switch, if there is advantage to having a SP which isn't dependant on the continuity of a switch.

[MikeH]

Those are great resources.  Thanks a bunch!