Definition: What is a Capacitor?
A capacitor is a small piece of electrical hardware that can hold electrical energy within a circuit or field. Capacitors are sometimes referred to as a type of internal battery, although capacitors and batteries work very differently. The dielectric or non-conducting substance in a capacitor separates two metal plates which hold opposite charges, and thus, an electric potential known as a voltage. The capacitor is often linked to a battery or voltage/power supply to be charged with incoming electrons. Capacitors act as an extra power reserve at or near a device that may need extra power in short term spikes. In this manner, a capacitor smooths the current drawn from the power supply, protecting it from overload, while also ensuring the device that it is connected to receives the power it draws until the capacitor is drained. Manufacturers use various materials including electrical conductors and insulating materials like glass or ceramics as capacitors. Some of these different types of capacitors are called: Electrolytic, Ceramic, and Tantalum.
Explaining a Capacitor
The capacity of a capacitor is measured in farads (F), which is equivalent to Amps/Second. The ability of the capacitor, such as the capacity and charge/discharge time, has to be coordinated to the ability of the power supply in order to provide consistent electrical results.As a common part of a circuit, capacitors are familiar elements in all kinds of hardware devices. Like other kinds of electrical hardware, capacitors have gotten smaller over time as manufacturing techniques have advanced.