The capacitance of a capacitor can be defined as the ratio of the amount of maximum charge (Q) that a capacitor can store to the applied voltage (V). So the amount of charge on a capacitor can be determined using the above-mentioned formula. Capacitors charges in a predictable way, and it takes time for the capacitor to charge.
The greater the applied voltage the greater will be the charge stored on the plates of the capacitor. Likewise, the smaller the applied voltage the smaller the charge. Therefore, the actual charge Q on the plates of the capacitor and can be calculated as: Where: Q (Charge, in Coulombs) = C (Capacitance, in Farads) x V (Voltage, in Volts)
This ability of the capacitor is called capacitance. The capacitance of a capacitor can be defined as the ratio of the amount of maximum charge (Q) that a capacitor can store to the applied voltage (V). So the amount of charge on a capacitor can be determined using the above-mentioned formula.
The capacitors ability to store this electrical charge ( Q ) between its plates is proportional to the applied voltage, V for a capacitor of known capacitance in Farads. Note that capacitance C is ALWAYS positive and never negative. The greater the applied voltage the greater will be the charge stored on the plates of the capacitor.
Capacitors come in a whole range of capacitance capabilities. There are capacitors that can hold 1 picofarad of charge (10 -12 C) and there are other capacitors that can hold 4700µF of charge. So the amount that a capacitor can charge depends on the capacitor at hand. The same thing applies for the amount of voltage that it holds.
Low voltage (from about 3.5V to 5.5V) super-capacitors are capable of storing large amounts of charge due to their high capacitance values as the energy stored in a capacitor is equal to 1/2 (C x V2).