A capacitor consists of two conducting plates which are separated by an insulating material that is called the dielectric.
Capacitance is directly proportional to the surface areas of the plates, and is inversely proportional to the plates’ separation.
Usually a capacitor has more than two plates depending on the capacitance or dielectric type.
Capacitors contain a circuit, light, and a switch.
When the switch is flipped, a voltage is applied that forces electrons through the switch to the top plate of the capacitor creating a build up of electrons on the top plate. This causes a difference in potential and it forces the electrons to be pulled to the positive end of the other voltage source.
As more current is released into the capacitor, an abundant amount of electrons are eventually accumulated onto the plate. When there is no more room on the positive side for electrons the current stops flowing.
Because of the ability of the capacitor to block current flow, it is often used as a filter.
Intentional capacitors have thin metal plates stacked or rolled to form a compact device but every multi-conductor geometry has capacitance.
Capacitors can be used to differentiate between high frequency and low frequency signals which make them useful in electronic filters.
Capacitors used to be referred to as condensers.
The capacitor’s capacitance is a measure of the amount of charge stored on each plate for a given potential difference or voltage which appears between the plates.
A capacitor cannot produce new electrons. A capacitor can only store the electrons.
A dielectric which separates the metal plates can be air, paper, plastic or anything that does not conduct electricity and will prevent the plates from touching each other.
The unit of capacitance is called a farad. A 1-farad capacitor is able to store one coulomb of charge at one volt.
Typically, capacitors are measured in microfarads which are millionths of a farad.
An electrolytic is a capacitor that is made of electrolyte and is basically conductive salt in solvent.
Tantalum capacitors are made of tantalum pentoxide and used with a material called tantalum for the electrodes. This type of capacitor has excellent temperature and frequency characteristics.
Super capacitors are electric double layer capacitors which have a capacitance of 0.47 Farad.