Definitions for Capacitor
kəˈpæs ɪ tərca·pac·i·tor

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. capacitor, capacitance, condenser, electrical condensernoun

   an electrical device characterized by its capacity to store an electric charge

GCIDERate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. capacitornoun

   a device used in electronic circuits to hold electrical charge, consisting of two conducting plates separated by a nonconducting (dielectric) medium; it is characterized by its capacitance.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. capacitornoun

   An electronic component capable of storing an electric charge; especially one consisting of two conductors separated by a dielectric.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Capacitor

   A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field by virtue of accumulating electric charges on two close surfaces insulated from each other. It is a passive electronic component with two terminals. The effect of a capacitor is known as capacitance. While some capacitance exists between any two electrical conductors in proximity in a circuit, a capacitor is a component designed to add capacitance to a circuit. The capacitor was originally known as the condenser, a term still encountered in a few compound names, such as the condenser microphone. The physical form and construction of practical capacitors vary widely and many types of capacitor are in common use. Most capacitors contain at least two electrical conductors often in the form of metallic plates or surfaces separated by a dielectric medium. A conductor may be a foil, thin film, sintered bead of metal, or an electrolyte. The nonconducting dielectric acts to increase the capacitor's charge capacity. Materials commonly used as dielectrics include glass, ceramic, plastic film, paper, mica, air, and oxide layers. Capacitors are widely used as parts of electrical circuits in many common electrical devices. Unlike a resistor, an ideal capacitor does not dissipate energy, although real-life capacitors do dissipate a small amount (see Non-ideal behavior). When an electric potential difference (a voltage) is applied across the terminals of a capacitor, for example when a capacitor is connected across a battery, an electric field develops across the dielectric, causing a net positive charge to collect on one plate and net negative charge to collect on the other plate. No current actually flows through the dielectric. However, there is a flow of charge through the source circuit. If the condition is maintained sufficiently long, the current through the source circuit ceases. If a time-varying voltage is applied across the leads of the capacitor, the source experiences an ongoing current due to the charging and discharging cycles of the capacitor. The earliest forms of capacitors were created in the 1740s, when European experimenters discovered that electric charge could be stored in water-filled glass jars that came to be known as Leyden jars. Today, capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits for blocking direct current while allowing alternating current to pass. In analog filter networks, they smooth the output of power supplies. In resonant circuits they tune radios to particular frequencies. In electric power transmission systems, they stabilize voltage and power flow. The property of energy storage in capacitors was exploited as dynamic memory in early digital computers, and still is in modern DRAM.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. capacitor

   A capacitor is an electronic component or device that is used to store electrical energy in an electric field. It consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. Capacitors are commonly used in electronic circuits to block direct current while allowing alternating current to pass, as well as for filtering and energy storage. The ability of a capacitor to store energy is measured in units of Farads.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Capacitor

   A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy electrostatically in an electric field. By contrast, batteries store energy via chemical reactions. The forms of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors separated by a dielectric; for example, one common construction consists of metal foils separated by a thin layer of insulating film. Capacitors are widely used as parts of electrical circuits in many common electrical devices. When there is a potential difference across the conductors, a static electric field develops across the dielectric, causing positive charge to collect on one plate and negative charge on the other plate. Energy is stored in the electrostatic field. An ideal capacitor is characterized by a single constant value, capacitance. This is the ratio of the electric charge on each conductor to the potential difference between them. The SI unit of capacitance is the farad, which is equal to one coulomb per volt. The capacitance is greatest when there is a narrow separation between large areas of conductor, hence capacitor conductors are often called plates, referring to an early means of construction. In practice, the dielectric between the plates passes a small amount of leakage current and also has an electric field strength limit, the breakdown voltage. The conductors and leads introduce an undesired inductance and resistance.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. capacitor

   The capacitor symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the capacitor symbol and its characteristic.

Matched Categories

1. • Electrical Device

How to pronounce Capacitor?

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How to say Capacitor in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Capacitor in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Capacitor in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Capacitor
2. ^ GCIDE
   https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=Capacitor
3. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Capacitor
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Capacitor