A capacitor with applied voltage v. The capacitor is said to store the electric charge. The amount of charge stored, represented by q, is directly proportional to the applied voltage v so that where C, the constant of proportionality, is known as the capacitance of the capacitor.
This formula is pivotal in designing and analyzing circuits that include capacitors, such as filtering circuits, timing circuits, and energy storage systems. Capacitor voltage, V c (V) in volts is calculated by dividing the value of total charge stored, Q (C) in coulombs by capacitance, C (F) in farads. Capacitor voltage, V c (V) = Q (C) / C (F)
For the capacitor to charge up to the desired voltage, the circuit designer must design the circuit specificially for the capacitor to charge up to that voltage. A capacitor may have a 50-volt rating but it will not charge up to 50 volts unless it is fed 50 volts from a DC power source.
The voltage across a capacitor is a fundamental concept in electrical engineering and physics, relating to how capacitors store and release electrical energy. A capacitor consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material or dielectric.
The Working Voltage is another important capacitor characteristic that defines the maximum continuous voltage either DC or AC that can be applied to the capacitor without failure during its working life. Generally, the working voltage printed onto the side of a capacitors body refers to its DC working voltage, (WVDC).
The voltage across a capacitor is directly related to the amount of charge it stores and its capacitance. This formula is pivotal in designing and analyzing circuits that include capacitors, such as filtering circuits, timing circuits, and energy storage systems.