Flashcards on Capacitor: charging, discharging and time constant
Capacitor Charging, Discharging & Time Constant Explained
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Capacitors and RC Circuits
12 cards
Card 1
Question: What is a capacitor?
Answer: A capacitor is a passive electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field.
Card 2
Question: What does a capacitor consist of?
Answer: It consists of two conductive plates separated by a dielectric (insulating) material.
Card 3
Question: What happens when a voltage is applied across a capacitor's plates?
Answer: An electric field is established in the dielectric, causing positive charge to accumulate on one plate and negative charge on the other.
Card 4
Question: What is the fundamental property of a capacitor?
Answer: Its capacitance (C), which quantifies its ability to store electric charge.
Card 5
Question: How is capacitance (C) defined?
Answer: Capacitance is defined as the ratio of the electric charge (Q) stored on one of its plates to the voltage (U) applied across its plates.
Card 6
Question: What is the formula for capacitance relating charge and voltage?
Answer: Q = C · U
Card 7
Question: What does Q represent in the capacitance formula and what are its units?
Answer: Q is the electric charge stored, measured in coulombs (C).
Card 8
Question: What does C represent in the capacitance formula and what are its units?
Answer: C is the capacitance, measured in farads (F).
Card 9
Question: What does U represent in the capacitance formula and what are its units?
Answer: U is the voltage across the capacitor, measured in volts (V).
Card 10
Question: How is one farad defined?
Answer: One farad is defined as one coulomb per volt (1 F = 1 C/V).