Capacitor

A Capacitor is one of the fundamental four passive electronic components, together with Resistors, Inductors and Memristors.

It's widely used in Analog computers as the key element in the Integrator, Track & Store Circuit and as stabilizer in uncommitted or Open Amplifiers.

It is capable of storing a certain amount of electrical charge (measured in Coulombs) depending on a propriety called Capacitance. The larger the capacitance, the larger the amount of charge stored and longer the time needed to charge.

An analogy useful to understand capacitor behaviour is by comparing it to a bucket. The larger in volume the bucket, the longer the time to fill it by a pipe carrying so many liters per second. The amount of water is definite and proportional to the volume of the bucket itself. The bucket can also be emptied instantly, akin to how capacitors can discharge instantly by being short-circuited.

Basics of Capacitors

A capacitor in its most basic form is created by putting two metal plates, called armatures or simply 'plates' facing each other.