Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:Table Normal;mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:;mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0in;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Times New Roman;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Times New Roman;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}What is capacitor?

Capacitor is a device that stores energy in an electrostatic field. A flashbulb, for example, requires a short burst of electric energy that exceeds what is a battery can generally provide. A capacitor can draw energy relatively slowly (over several seconds) from the battery, and it then can release the energy rapidly (within milliseconds) through the bulb. Much larger capacitors are used to produce short laser pulses in attempts to induce thermonuclear fusion in tiny pellets of hydrogen. In this case the power level during the pulse is about 10¹⁴ W, about 200 times the entire electrical generating capacity of the United States, but the pulses typically last only 10^-9s.

Capacitors are also used to produce electric fields, such as the parallel plate device that gives the very nearly uniform electric field that deflects beams of electrons in a TV or oscilloscope tube.

In circuits, capacitors are often used to smooth out the sudden variations in line voltage that can damage computer memories, In another application, the tuning or a radio or TV receiver is usually done by varying the capacitance of the circuit