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What is a Capacitor?
Just like the Resistor, Capacitor, sometimes referred to as a Condenser, is a
simple passive device. The capacitor is a component which has the ability or
"capacity" to store energy in the form of an electrical charge producing a potential
difference (Static Voltage) across its plates, much like a small rechargeable battery.
In its basic form, a capacitor consists of two or more parallel conductive (metal)
plates which are not connected or touching each other, but are electrically
separated either by air or by some form of insulating material such as paper, mica,
ceramic or plastic and which is commonly called the capacitors Dielectric.

A Typical Capacitor
The conductive metal plates of a capacitor can be either square, circular or
rectangular, or they can be of a cylindrical or spherical shape with the general
shape, size and construction of a parallel plate capacitor depending on its
application and voltage rating.
When used in a direct current or DC circuit, a capacitor charges up to its
supply voltage but blocks the flow of current through it because the dielectric of a
capacitor is non-conductive and basically an insulator. However, when a capacitor
is connected to an alternating current or AC circuit, the flow of the current appears
to pass straight through the capacitor with little or no resistance.
If a DC voltage is applied to the capacitors conductive plates, a current is
unable to flow through the capacitor itself due to the dielectric insulation and an
electrical charge builds up on the capacitors plates with electrons producing a
positive charge on one and an equal and opposite negative charge on the other
plate.
This flow of electrons to the plates is known as the capacitors Charging
Current which continues to flow until the voltage across both plates (and hence the
capacitor) is equal to the applied voltage Vc. At this point the capacitor is said to be
"fully charged" with electrons. The strength or rate of this charging current is at its
maximum value when the plates are fully discharged (initial condition) and slowly
reduces in value to zero as the plates charge up to a potential difference across the
capacitors plates equal to the applied supply voltage and this is illustrated below.

Capacitor Construction
The parallel plate capacitor is the simplest form of capacitor. It can be
constructed using two metal or metallized foil plates at a distance parallel to each
other, with its capacitance value in Farads, being fixed by the surface area of the
conductive plates and the distance of separation between them. Altering any two of
these values alters the value of its capacitance and this forms the basis of
operation of the variable capacitors.
 Also, because capacitors store the energy of the electrons in the form of an
electrical charge on the plates the larger the plates and/or smaller their separation
the greater will be the charge that the capacitor holds for any given voltage across
its plates. In other words, larger plates, smaller distance, more capacitance.
By applying a voltage to a capacitor and measuring the charge on the plates,
the ratio of the charge Q to the voltage V will give the capacitance value of the
capacitor and is therefore given as: C = Q/V this equation can also be re-arranged
to give the more familiar formula for the quantity of charge on the plates as: Q = C
xV
Although we have said that the charge is stored on the plates of a capacitor,
it is more correct to say that the energy within the charge is stored in an
"electrostatic field" between the two plates. When an electric current flows into the
capacitor, charging it up, the electrostatic field becomes more stronger as it stores
more energy. Likewise, as the current flows out of the capacitor, discharging it, the
potential difference between the two plates decreases and the electrostatic field
decreases as the energy moves out of the plates.
The property of a capacitor to store charge on its plates in the form of an
electrostatic field is called the Capacitance of the capacitor. Not only that, but
capacitance is also the property of a capacitor which resists the change of voltage
across it.

The Capacitance of a Capacitor

The unit of capacitance is the Farad (abbreviated to F) named after the
British physicist Michael Faraday and is defined as a capacitor has the capacitance
of One Farad when a charge of One Coulomb is stored on the plates by a voltage of
One volt. Capacitance, C is always positive and has no negative units. However, the
Farad is a very large unit of measurement to use on its own so sub-multiples of the
Farad are generally used such as micro-farads, nano-farads and pico-farads, for
example.

Units of Capacitance less than 1 Farad

 Microfarad (μF) 1μF = 1/1,000,000 = 0.000001 = 10-6 F
 Nanofarad (nF) 1nF = 1/1,000,000,000 = 0.000000001 = 10-9 F
 Picofarad (pF) 1pF = 1/1,000,000,000,000 = 0.000000000001 = 10-12 F

The capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor is proportional to the area, A of

the plates and inversely proportional to their distance or separation, d (i.e. the
dielectric thickness) giving us a value for capacitance of C = k( A/d ) where in a
vacuum the value of the constant k is 8.84 x 10-12 F/m or 1/4.π.9 x 109, which is
the permittivity of free space. Generally, the conductive plates of a capacitor are
separated by air or some kind of insulating material or gel rather than the vacuum
of free space.
The Dielectric of a Capacitor
As well as the overall size of the conductive plates and their distance or
spacing apart from each other, another factor which affects the overall capacitance
of the device is the type of dielectric material being used. In other words the
"Permittivity" (ε) of the dielectric. The conductive plates are generally made of a
metal foil or a metal film but the dielectric material is an insulator.
The various insulating materials used as the dielectric in a capacitor differ in
their ability to block or pass an electrical charge. This dielectric material can be
made from a number of insulating materials or combinations of these materials
with the most common types used being: air, paper, polyester, polypropylene,
Mylar, ceramic, glass, oil, or a variety of other materials.

The factor by which the dielectric material, or insulator, increases the

capacitance of the capacitor compared to air is known as the Dielectric
Constant, k and a dielectric material with a high dielectric constant is a better
insulator than a dielectric material with a lower dielectric constant. Dielectric
constant is a dimensionless quantity since it is relative to free space. The actual
permittivity or "complex permittivity" of the dielectric material between the plates is
then the product of the permittivity of free space (ε o) and the relative permittivity (εr)
of the material being used as the dielectric and is given as:

Complex Permittivity

As the permittivity of free space, εo is equal to one, the value of the complex
permittivity will always be equal to the relative permittivity. Typical units of
dielectric permittivity, ε or dielectric constant for common materials are: Pure
Vacuum = 1.0000, Air = 1.0005, Paper = 2.5 to 3.5, Glass = 3 to 10, Mica = 5 to 7,
Wood = 3 to 8 and Metal Oxide Powders = 6 to 20 etc.
 This then gives us a final equation for the capacitance of a capacitor as:

One method used to increase the overall capacitance of a capacitor is to

"interleave" more plates together within a single capacitor body. Instead of just one
set of parallel plates, a capacitor can have many individual plates connected
together thereby increasing the area, A of the plate. For example, a capacitor with
10 interleaved plates would produce 9 (10 - 1) mini capacitors with an overall
capacitance nine times that of a single parallel plate.

Modern capacitors can be classified according to the characteristics and

properties of their insulating dielectric:
 Low Loss, High Stability such as Mica, Low-K Ceramic, Polystyrene.
 Medium Loss, Medium Stability such as Paper, Plastic Film, High-K
Ceramic.
 Polarized Capacitors such as Electrolytic's, Tantalum's.

Voltage Rating (Working Voltage) of a Capacitor

All capacitors have a maximum voltage rating and when selecting a capacitor
consideration must be given to the amount of voltage to be applied across the
capacitor. The maximum amount of voltage that can be applied to the capacitor
without damage to its dielectric material is generally given in the data sheets
as: WV, (working voltage) or as WV DC, (DC working voltage). If the voltage applied
across the capacitor becomes too great, the dielectric will break down (known as
electrical breakdown) and arcing will occur between the capacitor plates resulting
in a short-circuit. The working voltage of the capacitor depends on the type of
dielectric material being used and its thickness.
The DC working voltage of a capacitor is just that, the maximum DC voltage
and NOT the maximum AC voltage as a capacitor with a DC voltage rating of 100
volts DC cannot be safely subjected to an alternating voltage of 100 volts. Since an
alternating voltage has an r.m.s. value of 100 volts but a peak value of over 141
volts!. Then a capacitor which is required to operate at 100 volts AC should have a
working voltage of at least 200 volts. In practice, a capacitor should be selected so
that its working voltage either DC or AC should be at least 50 percent greater than
the highest effective voltage to be applied to it.
Another factor which affects the operation of a capacitor is Dielectric
Leakage. Dielectric leakage occurs in a capacitor as the result of an unwanted
leakage current which flows through the dielectric material. Generally, it is
assumed that the resistance of the dielectric is extremely high and a good insulator
blocking the flow of DC current through the capacitor (as in a perfect capacitor)
from one plate to the other.
However, if the dielectric material becomes damaged due excessive voltage or
over temperature, the leakage current through the dielectric will become extremely
high resulting in a rapid loss of charge on the plates and an overheating of the
capacitor eventually resulting in premature failure of the capacitor. Then never use
a capacitor in a circuit with higher voltages than the capacitor is rated for
otherwise it may become hot and explode.

Introduction to Capacitors Summary

The job of a capacitor is to store charge onto its plates. The amount of
electrical charge that a capacitor can store on its plates is known as
its Capacitance value and depends upon three main factors.
 The surface area, A of the two conductive plates which make up the
capacitor, the larger the area the greater the capacitance.
 The distance, d between the two plates, the smaller the distance the greater
the capacitance.
 The type of material which separates the two plates called the "dielectric",
the higher the permittivity of the dielectric the greater the capacitance.
The dielectric of a capacitor is a non-conducting insulating material, such as
waxed paper, glass, mica different plastics etc, and provides the following
advantages.
 The dielectric constant is the property of the dielectric material and varies
from one material to another increasing the capacitance by a factor of k.
 The dielectric provides mechanical support between the two plates allowing
the plates to be closer together without touching.
 Permittivity of the dielectric increases the capacitance.
 The dielectric increases the maximum operating voltage compared to air.
Capacitors can be used to block DC current while passing audio signals,
pulses, or alternating current, or other time varying wave forms. This ability to
block DC currents enables capacitors to be used to smooth the output voltages of
power supplies, to remove unwanted spikes from signals that would otherwise tend
to cause damage or false triggering of semiconductors or digital components.
Capacitors can also be used to adjust the frequency response of an audio circuit, or
to couple together separate amplifier stages that must be protected from the
transmission of DC current.
At DC a capacitor has infinite impedance (open -circuit), at very high
frequencies a capacitor has zero impedance (short-circuit). All capacitors have a
maximum working voltage rating, its WV DC so select a capacitor with a rating at
least 50% more than the supply voltage.
There are a large variety of capacitor styles and types, each one having its
own particular advantage, disadvantage and characteristics. To include all types
would make this tutorial section very large so in the next tutorial about The
Introduction to Capacitors I shall limit them to the most commonly used types.