Capacitor
makerA capacitor is a passive electrical component that stores energy in an electric field.
expanded
A capacitor consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. When voltage is applied across the plates, an electric field is created, storing electrical energy for later use. Capacitors are crucial in circuits for functions such as filtering, tuning, and timing, as they can quickly charge and discharge, stabilizing voltage and power flow in a wide range of electronic devices.
examples
Electrolytic capacitors with capacitances ranging from 1 µF to 4700 µF (microfarads) are used in power supply circuits for filtering applications.
These capacitors smooth out voltage variations after rectification in power supplies, ensuring consistent DC output in devices like computer power supplies and audio amplifiers.
Ceramic capacitors with typical capacitances of 1 pF to 10 µF used in RF circuits for decoupling and filtering.
In radio frequency (RF) communication devices, these capacitors are essential for preventing noise from interfering with signal integrity, commonly implemented in devices like smartphones and wireless routers.