1 / 5

Understanding Capacitors: Functions, Types, and Applications

Capacitors are essential electronic components used for storing electrical charge, timing applications, and smoothing current in circuits. They consist of two conductors separated by a dielectric material such as paper, plastic, or ceramic. When a circuit is activated, capacitors charge and discharge, affecting the timing of components like LEDs or relays. There are two main types of capacitors: electrolytic (polarized) and non-electrolytic (non-polarized), each with distinct properties and uses. This guide explores their construction, operation, and practical applications.

deva
Download Presentation

Understanding Capacitors: Functions, Types, and Applications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. CAPACITORS…..What are they used for? • Capacitors are components that are used • to store an electrical charge. • in timer circuits. • added to a resistor to produce a timer. • to smooth a current in a circuit as • they can prevent false triggering of • other components such as relays.

  2. A capacitor is composed of…….. A capacitor is composed of two conductors separated by an insulating material called a DIELECTRIC. The dielectric can be paper, plastic film, ceramic, air or a vacuum. The plates can be aluminium discs, aluminium foil or a thin film of metal applied to opposite sides of a solid dielectric. The CONDUCTOR - DIELECTRIC - CONDUCTOR sandwich can be rolled into a cylinder or left flat

  3. HOW DOES A CAPACITOR WORK ? When the circuit is switched on, the light dependent resistor emits light and the capacitor charges up. When the switch is turned off the LED stills emits a light for a few seconds because the electricity stored in the capacitor is slowly discharged. When it has fully discharged it's electricity the LED no longer emits light. If a resistor is introduced to the circuit the capacitor charges up more slowly but also discharges more slowly.

  4. Electrolytic and Non-Electrolytic Capacitors Electrolytic capacitors are ‘polarised’ which means they have a positive and negative lead and must be positioned in a circuit the right way round (the positive lead must go to the positive side of the circuit). They also have a much higher capacitance than non-electrolytic capacitors. Notice the electrolytic capacitors above. They all have two polarised leads, in other words they have a positive and negative leg. This type of capacitor is used with ICs such as the 555 timer chip and it is the capacitors and resistors that determine the timing sequence. Non-electrolytic capacitors usually have a lower capacitance.They are not polarised (do not have a positive and negative lead) and can be placed anyway round in a circuit.They are normally used to smooth a current in a circuit.

  5. Types of Capacitors - + REMEMBER - there are polarised and non-polarised capacitors. Look for a positive and negative sign.

More Related