Series: Charge is the same on each capacitor. Parallel: Total charge is the sum of charges on each capacitor.

Series: Reciprocal addition is used. Parallel: Capacitances are added directly.

Initially: Current flows freely. Steady State: No current flows; acts as an open circuit.

Charging: Current decreases exponentially. Discharging: Current (magnitude) decreases exponentially, and flows in the opposite direction.

Series: Voltage is split across capacitors. Parallel: Voltage is the same across each capacitor.

Capacitance is the ability of a component or circuit to collect and store energy in the form of an electrical charge.

Steady state is when the capacitor is fully charged and no current flows through it, acting like an open switch.

The time constant ($\tau$ = RC) is the time it takes for a capacitor to charge to about 63% of its maximum voltage or discharge to about 37% of its initial voltage.

The equivalent capacitance is the total capacitance of a circuit with multiple capacitors, simplified into a single value.

An RC circuit is a circuit containing both a resistor (R) and a capacitor (C).

Use the reciprocal addition formula: $\frac{1}{C_{total}} = \frac{1}{C_1} + \frac{1}{C_2} + \frac{1}{C_3} + ...$

Add the capacitances directly: $C_{total} = C_1 + C_2 + C_3 + ...$

Initially, current flows freely. As the capacitor charges, the voltage across it increases until it equals the source voltage, at which point current stops flowing.

The capacitor releases its stored charge through the resistor, with the voltage and current decreasing exponentially over time.

The voltage across the capacitor increases over time until it reaches the voltage of the source, after which it remains constant.