What is Capacitor and How it Works?

Capacitors are among the crucial parts of many electrical devices. In this article from Linquip, we want to explain in detail the answer to “what is a capacitor” and “what are capacitors used for”. By the end of this article, you will be able to fully understand the structure of a capacitor and how they work inside an electrical device.

What is a capacitor?

A capacitor is considered to be a device for storing electrical energy inside an electric field. This passive electronic component contains two terminals to help store energy. The two conductors inside a capacitor are insulated from each other and are in close proximity. The capacitor’s effect is called capacitance and capacitors are capable of adding capacitance to the circuit. Capacitors belong to a group called “passive components”; these components also include resistors and inductors. All these three elements are used inside electronic equipment.

What does a capacitor do and how it works?

Capacitors are used for storing electrical energy. Capacitors, in their ideal form, don’t dissipate energy which is in the contrast with resistors’ functionality. But the real-life situations are a bit different and capacitors dissipate a small amount of energy while in the use. When a voltage (electric potential difference) is applied throughout the capacitor’s terminals, the dielectric will be surrounded by an electric field. This process enables the capacitor to collect a net negative charge on one plate and the negative form on the other. The source circuit of the capacitor experiences a charge flow but the dielectric receives no current flow.

What are Capacitors Used For? (Different capacitor applications)

A part of knowing “what is a capacitor?” is to know its different applications. Capacitors, also known as condensers, have many different applications. Many devices benefit from using capacitors. One of the important applications of capacitors is their ability to divert spurious electric signals by becoming a filter to differentiate between these signals and the ones that are safe and are not damaging sensitive and important circuits and components during electric surges.

You can also use such parts in digital circuits to make sure that the stored information in computer memories is safe when there’s a temporary power failure. They have been used for early digital computers to work as dynamic memory because of their ability to store energy. Nowadays, capacitors are still used in modern DRAMs inside computers.

The use of Aillen capacitors in electronic circuits is because of their ability to block direct current (also known as DC) and in the meantime, they allow the alternating current (Also known as AC) to flow. They are also used in electric power transmission systems for stabilizing power flow as well as the flow of voltage. Another use of capacitors is to smooth the output of power supplies in the analog filter networks. As for their application for resonant circuits, they are responsible for tuning radios into particular frequencies.

Capacitor Structure

You need to know the structure of a capacitor when it comes to finding the answer to “What is a capacitor?” Many capacitors have at least two conductors designed in their structure, usually made from metallic plates or surfaces. These electrical conductors are separated by a medium that is usually a dielectric one. The conductor itself can be in the form of a thin film, a foil, or even an electrolyte. The nonconducting dielectric increases the charge capacity of the capacitor. These dielectrics are usually made of mica, plastic film, glass, paper, air, ceramic, or even oxide layers.

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