Capacitor Definition
A two-terminal electric device that can store energy is called the capacitor. A capacitor consists of two electric conductors that are shaped like plates and are connected to different materials and the space between them is filled with a dielectric material that increases the capacity of the capacitor to hold the electric charge. The ability of the capacitor to store electric charge is called capacitance.
A capacitor not only stores electric charge but can store electric energy in the form of electric charge. So one might ask, What is the difference between a capacitor and an electric battery? As a battery also holds electric energy.
So the basic difference between the battery and the electric charge is that a battery stores the electric energy and releases it gradually over a long period of time but a capacitor almost instantaneously releases all its stored energy. A capacitor is sometimes also called a condenser and is an important part of a common electric circuit. We frequently used capacitors to block direct current (dc) while permitting alternating current (ac) to flow in any electrical circuit.
Various types of capacitors are shown in the image below,
Capacitance
Capacitance is defined as the capacity of any material to store electric charge. The substance that stores the electric charge is called a capacitor, i.e. the ability of the capacitor to hold the electric charge is called capacitance. It is denoted with the symbol C and is defined as the ratio of the electric charge stored inside a capacitor by the voltage applied.
Thus, any material that has a tendency to store electric charge is called a capacitor and the ability of the material to hold electric charge is called the capacitance of the material. In this article, we will learn about capacitance, its formula, capacitor, and others in detail.