The capacitance C of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the maximum charge Q that can be stored in a capacitor to the applied voltage V across its plates. In other words, capacitance is the largest amount of charge per volt that can be stored on the device: C = Q V
The capacitance of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of the maximum charge that can be stored in a capacitor to the applied voltage across its plates. In other words, capacitance is the largest amount of charge per volt that can be stored on the device: The SI unit of capacitance is the farad (), named after Michael Faraday (1791–1867).
A spherical capacitor is another set of conductors whose capacitance can be easily determined (Figure 8.2.5). It consists of two concentric conducting spherical shells of radii R1 (inner shell) and R2 (outer shell). The shells are given equal and opposite charges + Q and − Q, respectively.
An ideal capacitor is characterized by a constant capacitance C, in farads in the SI system of units, defined as the ratio of the positive or negative charge Q on each conductor to the voltage V between them: A capacitance of one farad (F) means that one coulomb of charge on each conductor causes a voltage of one volt across the device.
This page titled 8.2: Capacitors and Capacitance is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform. A capacitor is a device used to store electrical charge and electrical energy.
Creating and Destroying Electric Energy...................................5-28 A capacitor is a device which stores electric charge. Capacitors vary in shape and size, but the basic configuration is two conductors carrying equal but opposite charges (Figure 5.1.1). Capacitors have many important applications in electronics.
OverviewHistoryTheory of operationNon-ideal behaviorCapacitor typesCapacitor markingsApplicationsHazards and safety
Natural capacitors have existed since prehistoric times. The most common example of natural capacitance are the static charges accumulated between clouds in the sky and the surface of the Earth, where the air between them serves as the dielectric. This results in bolts of lightning when the breakdown voltage of the air is exceeded.