WEEK 5 NOTES Flashcards
What does a capacitor do?
It stores energy in the form of an electric field
What is the role of a capacitor in a circuit?
Acts as storage of electrical charge
Keeps voltage the same across certain components
Remove noise
What is a dielectric?
They are insulating materials that polarise when in touch with an electric field.
E.g. ceramic or air
How do capacitors store energy?
They hold apart pairs of opposite charges.
(When attracted charges are held apart they store potential energy which is released when they touch)
When does a capacitor have the same voltage as the power supply?
When the it is fully charged
What are the characteristics of capacitors in series?
The current flowing through each capacitor is the same, this means electrical charge is also the same through each capacitor.
To find the value of the capacitor total you add the capacitors the same way you find resistance in a parallel circuit
What are the characteristics of capacitors in paralell?
Voltage across each capacitor is the same.
The value of capacitor total is the sum of all capacitors in the circuit
