Why cant the current from the socket turn on the air conditioner but the current in capacitor to turn it on ?
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Ever tried pushing something really heavy and needed some help to get it moving, but once it’s moving you can.manage yourself?
It takes more force to start motion than to keep something in motion, because friction is lower once it’s moving. Starting up a motor or an AC unit is the same. You need an extra kick to get the motor going. It’s also the reason that vacuum cleaners need a higher rated fuse. When they’re running, it doesn’t need to be that big. But when you switch them on, there’s a surge. So, AC units use a capacitor to store up an extra bit of charge so you can get that initial kick.
The reason for the difference in friction is going to need a bit of imagination. Friction happens because when you zoom in enough, surfaces are rough. Imagine it as being like a landscape of tiny pointed mountains. When two things are sitting on top of each other, the mountains on one find a way to lock together with the valleys of the other. To get the surfaces sliding past each other, you need to separate the mountains and valleys. But when the surfaces are already moving, it’s like the peaks slide past each other. Stop, and they can lock together again.
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