What is Capacitor , Symbol, structure , types

Welcome to the Electron Tips website. Our topic today is about the most important element in the field of electronics engineering, which is the capacitor. What is a capacitor? And how does the electrolytic capacitor work? And what is the main role of the capacitor in electrical circuits? What types of electrolytic capacitors are available?

What is Capacitor :

The capacitor is an electrical element capable of storing and discharging the electric current for a short period of time in the form of an exponential function. With its capacity and the voltage it works on the capacitance of the capacitor is measured in Farad units relative to the physicist Faraday and the capacitors available in the electronics engineering are measured in Farad parts because the Farad unit is very huge.

Capacitor structure

Capacitor Symbol :

There are several scientific symbols for the electric capacitor, but they are almost similar to each other, as each symbol indicates a specific type of capacitor, and these are some symbols for the electric capacitor according to their type :

Capacitor symbol

How does a capacitor work :

When the electric capacitor is connected inside an electronic circuit that contains other electronic components and a source of electric current, the capacitor is charged by storing electric charges on its positive and negative internal plates until the capacitor is fully charged according to its capacity.

During the separation of the electric current source from the circuit, the capacitor will in turn, he discharges the electric charges that he charged while there is an electric voltage source, and to make sure of this, create an electrical circuit that contains a capacitor and an LED lamp in parallel, after charging the capacitor, press the circuit breaker to separate the power source from the circuit, and you will notice that the LED lamp will light up Dim then it will clear up.

Types of electrical capacitors :

Capacitors types

There are many electrical capacitors that differ among themselves according to their use in electrical circuits, and these are some of the most famous electrical capacitors :

ceramic capacitor:

It is a rather small capacitor, characterized by high accuracy at high frequencies, and its outer shape is often in the form of a circle, and it stores few electrical charges, as its capacity ranges from 1 microfarad to 1 picofarad.

Ceramic capacitor

Electrolyte capacitor :

This type of capacitor is available in many shapes and types, and it is a non-polarized electrolytic capacitor, meaning that it is used in AC circuits.

Electrolyte capacitor

mica capacitor:

It is called by this name because its outer layer consists of mica, and it is widely used in high-voltage electric current circuits, and it is one of the most expensive electrical capacitors despite its small capacity.

Mica capacitor

How to connect an electrolytic capacitor :

There are two types of capacitor connection within electrical circuits, the first type is connected in series and the second type is connected in parallel, and each connection is used for a specific purpose.

important note

There is another type of electrical capacitors called variable capacitors whose capacity is allowed to change, such as variable electrical resistors.

The function of an electrolytic capacitor in an electric circuit :

The electric capacitor has many functions and uses within electronic circuits, and we mention some of them, but are not limited to:

The electric capacitor is widely used in converting from alternating current to direct current, in order to smooth the output current and obtain a constant current.

Available in the flash of smart phones and mobile phones.

It is used in fans and electric motors, where it is connected in parallel with the fans and motors in order to increase and maintain their capacity.

It is used in circuits of electronic components such as resistors, diodes, and coils to improve their performance.