Search:                        
Please support my efforts by ADVERTISING!
Serving a Pleasing Blend of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow™

Vintage Magazines

Electronics World
Popular Electronics
Radio & TV News
QST | Pop Science
Popular Mechanics
Radio-Craft
Radio-Electronics
Short Wave Craft
Electronics | OFA
Saturday Eve Post
Electronics Illustrated

Formulas | Data

Electronics | RF
Mathematics
Mechanics
Physics

Calvin & Phineas

Archive | Sitemap
kmblatt83@aol.com

Resources

Radar | AI
Cogitations
RF Museum
Videos | Pics |
Things | Logos
Radio Datashts
WJ Tech Notes
Day in History

Entertainment

Crosswords
Humor | Podcasts
Quotes | Quizzes
Tech Comics

Parts | Services

1000s of Listings

About RF Cafe
Software: RF Cascade Workbook | RF Symbols for Office | RF Symbols & Stencils for Visio | Espresso Workbook
Johanson Technology Single Layer Capacitors - RF Cafe Website

Capacitor Circuit Quiz
June 1968 Popular Electronics

June 1968 Popular Electronics

June 1968 Popular Electronics Cover - RF Cafe WebsiteTable of Contents

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Here is a good quiz on calculating total equivalent capacitance for circuits containing various combination of series, parallel, and series-parallel connections. It appeared in the June 1968 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. To help in calculation, all of the individual capacitor values are the same. Many of them you can probably solve in your head, especially if you mentally rearrange the circuit into a more readily recognizable configuration. For instance, circuit #1 can be redrawn having two parallel branches across the source. One branch has just a single capacitor while the other has two parallel capacitors in series with one capacitor. The equation is then C + (2C2/3C) = C + 2/3C = 5/3C. For C = 6 pF, Ctotal = 5/3*6 pF = 10 pF.

Capacitor Circuit Quiz

Capacitor Circuit Quiz, June 1968 Popular Electronics - RF Cafe Websiteby Robert P. Balin

Capacitors are not only used as single units in electronic circuits, but are often combined in series or parallel with other capacitors. When connected in series, capacitors add like resistors in parallel. The exact formula for adding any two out of any number of capacitors in series is: CT = C1 x C2/C1 + C2. When connected in parallel, capacitors add like resistors in series, so that the total capacitance is equal to the sum of the separate values. To test your skill at working capacitor problems, try to find the total effective capacitance available in each of the circuits (1-10) shown below. Each capacitor is rated at 6 pF. Hint: Beware of capacitors that might be shorted out. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

 

See answers below.

Quizzes from vintage electronics magazines such as Popular Electronics, Electronics-World, QST, Radio-Electronics, and Radio News were published over the years - some really simple and others not so simple. Robert P. Balin created most of the quizzes for Popular Electronics. This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.

RF Cafe Quizzes

Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

 

Capacitor Quiz Answers

 

1)  10 pF

2)  6 pF

3)  12 pF

4)  9 pF

5)  16 pF

6)  8 pF

7)  5 pF

8)  3 pF

9)  15 pF

10) 4 pF

 

 

Posted April 26, 2023
(updated from original post on 7/4/2013)
WithWave microwave devices - RF Cafe Website

About the RF Cafe™ Website ©1996-2026

Kirt Blattenberger - RF Cafe WebmasterRF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling 2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps while tying up your telephone line, and a lady's voice announced "You've Got Mail" when a new message arrived...

Webmaster: Kirt Blattenberger  |     BSEE - KB3UON - AMA92498  |  USAF Radar Technician

All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the RF Cafe website are hereby acknowledged.

My Hobby Website: AirplanesAndRockets.com  | My Daughter's Website: EquineKingdom
Please Support My Advertisers!
Transcat | Axiom Test Equipment - RF Cafe Website
Aegis Power | Centric RF | RFCT
Empower RF | Reactel | SF Circuits
Alliance Test | Isotec
Anritsu MA25211A P25 Radio Auto Test & Alignment System - RF Cafe Website

Espresso Engineering Workbook

PCB Directory (Manufacturers) - RF Cafe Website		 RF Electronic Stencils Symbols Visio Shapes Office

Johanson Dielectrics EMI Filters - RF Cafe Website

Innovative Power Products (IPP) Baluns & Transformers - RF Cafe Website

Please Support RF Cafe by purchasing my ridiculously low-priced products, all of which I created.

RF Cascade Workbook for Excel

RF & Electronics Symbols for Visio

RF & Electronics Symbols for Office

RF & Electronics Stencils for Visio

RF Workbench

These Are Available for Free

Espresso Engineering Workbook™

Smith Chart™ for Excel