Published by:
CGP EDU Academic Team
Published on: September 12, 2026
The combination of capacitors with
and
is charged by connecting AB to a battery. Consider the following statements
(I) Energy stored in
= Energy stored in
+ Energy stored in 
(II) Charge on C 1 = Charge on C 2 + Charge on C 3
(III) Potential drop across C 1 = Potential drop across C 2 = Potential drop across C 3
Which of these is/are correct

Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsThe correct answer is:
A
Step 1: Analyze the given combinations of capacitors.
Capacitors C1, C2, and C3 are in series and can be analyzed using series capacitor rules. In a series configuration, the charge is the same for all capacitors.
Step 2: Evaluate Statement I.
Energy stored in capacitors is given by:
$$ U = \frac{1}{2} C V^2 $$
This implies that the energy stored in C1 is equal to the energy stored in C2 plus the energy stored in C3 when you consider a common potential difference across them. Hence, Statement I is correct.
Step 3: Evaluate Statement II.
Charge is indeed shared in a series connection, so the charge on C1 is equal to the sum of the charges on C2 and C3, which implies Statement II is also correct.
Step 4: Evaluate Statement III.
In a series configuration, while charges are the same, the potential drop across different capacitors is not necessarily equal, especially if the capacitances differ. Therefore, Statement III is incorrect.
Conclusion: Thus, Statements I and II are correct, leading to Option A (I and II) as the correct answer.
Capacitors C1, C2, and C3 are in series and can be analyzed using series capacitor rules. In a series configuration, the charge is the same for all capacitors.
Step 2: Evaluate Statement I.
Energy stored in capacitors is given by:
$$ U = \frac{1}{2} C V^2 $$
This implies that the energy stored in C1 is equal to the energy stored in C2 plus the energy stored in C3 when you consider a common potential difference across them. Hence, Statement I is correct.
Step 3: Evaluate Statement II.
Charge is indeed shared in a series connection, so the charge on C1 is equal to the sum of the charges on C2 and C3, which implies Statement II is also correct.
Step 4: Evaluate Statement III.
In a series configuration, while charges are the same, the potential drop across different capacitors is not necessarily equal, especially if the capacitances differ. Therefore, Statement III is incorrect.
Conclusion: Thus, Statements I and II are correct, leading to Option A (I and II) as the correct answer.
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