Electronics are becoming ever more prevalent in my uni course (I’m doing sound engineering). Knowing how your own equipment works and stuff is integral but what is a capacitor. I failed physics in school almost. What does it do. Help.
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A capacitor is two very thin sheets of metal film (plates) separated by a very thin layer of dielectric (non-conducting material), rolled up into a convenient size.
When you energize one side of a capacitor, the voltage creates a potential between the plates, which generates an electrostatic charge in and around the dielectric. Electrical potential in the capacitor builds at a decreasing rate until the capacitor is full.
When you disconnect the capacitor, the accumulated electrostatic charge remains (sometimes for weeks or months if left alone). When a path for the potential to flow toward opens, the capacitor discharges.
Capacitors are useful in applications where briefly storing electrical potential is useful.
As well, since resistance and capacitance (Farads, unit of capacitance) determine a capacitor’s charge/discharge time, capacitors are essential in circuits that generate oscillating waveforms.
Think of capacitors as electrical springs that can compress and rebound voltage and current.
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