Color Coding of Resistors

The Resistor Color Code is used for marking and identifying pertinent data for standard
resistors.

CAPACITOR

A capacitor is a circuit component designed to store electrical charge. If you connect a dc

voltage source to a capacitor, for example, the capacitor will “charge” to the voltage of the
source. If you then disconnect the source, the capacitor will remain charged, i.e., its voltage
will remain constant at the value to which it had risen while connected to the source
(assuming no leakage). Because of this tendency to hold voltage, a capacitor opposes
changes in voltage.

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It is this characteristic that gives capacitors their unique properties. Capacitors are widely
used in electrical and electronic applications. They are used in radio and TV systems, for
example, to tune in signals, in cameras to store the charge that fires the photoflash, on pump
and refrigeration motors to increase starting torque, in electric power systems to increase
operating efficiency, and so on.

Fixed Capacitors
Fixed capacitors are often identified by their dielectric. Common dielectric materials
include ceramic, plastic, and mica, plus, for electrolytic capacitors, aluminum and tantalum
oxide. Design variations include tubular and interleaved plates.

Ceramic Capacitors
First, consider ceramic. They are popular in limited temperature applications where small
size and cost are important. At the other end are ceramics with highly stable characteristics.
They yield capacitors whose values change little with temperature, voltage, or aging.
However, since their dielectric constants are relatively low (typically 30 to 80), these
capacitors are physically larger than those made using high-permittivity ceramic. Many
surface mount capacitors (cuse ceramic dielectrics.

Plastic Film Capacitors

Plastic-film capacitors are of two basic types: film/foil or metalized film. Film/foil capacitors use metal
foil separated by plastic film, while metallized-film capacitors have their foil material vacuum
deposited directly onto plastic film. Film/foil capacitors are generally larger than metallized-foil units,
but have better capacitance stability and higher insulation resistance. Typical film materials are
polyester, Mylar, polypropylene, and polycarbonate. Metalized-film capacitors are self-healing. Thus,
if voltage stress at an imperfection exceeds breakdown, an arc occurs which evaporates the metallized
area around the fault, isolating the defect. (Film/foil capacitors are not self-healing.)

Mica Capacitors
Mica capacitors are low in cost with low leakage and good stability. Available values range from a few
picofarads to about 0.1 mF.

Electrolytic Capacitors
Electrolytic capacitors provide large capacitance (i.e., up to several hundred thousand microfarads) at a
relatively low cost. (Their capacitance is large because they have a very thin layer of oxide as their
dielectric.) However, their leakage is relatively high and breakdown voltage relatively low. Electrolytics
have either aluminum or tantalum as their plate material. Tantalum devices are smaller than aluminum
devices, have less leakage, and are more stable. Electrolytic capacitors are polarized (marked with a +
and - sign), and the plus (+) terminal must always be kept positive with respect to the minus (-) terminal.
Electrolytic capacitors have a shelf life; that is, if they are not used for an extended period, they may
fail when powered up again.

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Surface Mount Capacitors
Many electronic products now use surface mount devices (SMDs). (SMDs do not have connection leads,
but are soldered directly onto printed circuit boards.)

Variable Capacitors

The most common variable capacitor is that used in radio tuning circuits. It has a set of stationary plates
and a set of movable plates which are ganged together and mounted on a shaft. As the shaft is rotated,
the movable plates mesh with the stationary plates, changing the effective surface area (and hence the
capacitance).

Another adjustable type is the trimmer or padder capacitor, which is used for fine adjustments, usually
over a very small range. In contrast to the variable capacitor (which is frequently varied by the user), a
trimmer is usually set to its required value, then never touched again.

Inductors

Self-inductance (usually just called inductance) is a circuit property that is due entirely to the magnetic
field created by current in a circuit. The effect that inductance has on circuit operation is to oppose any
change in current—thus, in a sense, inductance can be likened to inertia in a mechanical system. A
circuit element built to possess inductance is called an inductor. In its simplest form an inductor is
simply a coil of wire. Ideally, inductors have only inductance. However, since they are made of wire,
practical inductors also have some resistance. Initially, however, we assume that this resistance is
negligible and treat inductors as ideal (i.e., we assume that they have no property other than inductance).
On circuit diagrams and in equations, inductance is represented by the letter L. Its circuit symbol is a
coil. The unit of inductance is the henry.

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