CAPACITORS (It’s Types and Uses)

What is capacitor?
A device used to store an electric charge, consisting of one or more pairs of conductors separated
by an insulator.
In simple words “A capacitor is a two-terminal electrical device that can store energy in the form
of an electric charge. It consists of two electrical conductors that are separated by a distance. The
space between the conductors may be filled by vacuum or with an insulating material known as a
dielectric”

Usually conductors are in the form of parallel plates, and the capacitor is known as parallel plate
capacitor.
When the plates of such a capacitor are connected to a battery of voltage V, it establishes a potential
difference of V volts between the two plates and the battery places a charge +Q on the plate
connected with its positive terminal and a charge-Q on the other plate, connected to its negative
terminal. Let Q be the magnitude of the charge on either of the plates. It is found that:

QαV OR Q = CV

Or C = Q/V

The proportionality constant C is called the Capacitance of the capacitor.

The SI unit of capacitance is coulomb per volt, which because of its frequent use, is commonly
called farad (F), after the famous English scientist Faraday.

Energy Stored In Capacitor:

A capacitor is a device to store charge. Alternatively, it is possible to think of a capacitor as a
device for storing electrical energy.
The energy stored in capacitor can be calculated by using the formula:

E = 1 CV2
2
Where:
 E is the energy stored in jouls (J)
 C is the capacitance of capacitor in farads (F)
 V is the voltage across the capacitor in volts (V)
This formula shows that the energy stored in a capacitor is directly proportional to the capacitance
and the square of the voltage across it.
Charging and discharging of capacitor:
 Charging and discharging a capacitor are fundamental processes in electronics.
 Capacitors charge when voltage is applied across their plates, and they discharge when the
voltage is removed.
 The time it takes to charge or discharge a capacitor is determined by its capacitance and
the resistance in the circuit.

Combinations of Capacitors
Capacitors are manufactured with different standard capacitances, and by combining them in
series or in parallel, we can get any desired value of the capacitance.
(i) Capacitors in Parallel
In this combination, the left plate of each capacitor is connected to the positive terminal of the
battery by a conducting wire. In the same way, the right plate of each capacitor is connected to
the negative terminal of the battery.
This type of combination has the following characteristics:
 Each capacitor connected to a battery of voltage V has the same potential difference V
across it. i.e.,
V1= V2 = V3 = V
 The charge developed across the plates of each capacitor will be different due to different
value of capacitances .
 The total charge Q supplied by the battery is divided among the various capacitors.
Hence,
Q = Q1 + Q2 + Q3

Q = C1V+ C2V + C3V

Or Q =C +C +C
1 2 3
V
Thus, we can replace the parallel combination of capacitors with one equivalent capacitor having

capacitance , such that

Ceq = C1 + C2 + C3

In the case of ‘n’ capacitors connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance is given by
Ceq = C1 + C2 + C3 + ........+ Cn
 The equivalent capacitance of a parallel combination of capacitors is greater than any of
the individual capacitances.
(ii) Capacitors in Series
In this combination, the capacitors are connected side by side i.e., the right plate of one capacitor
is connected to the left plate of the next capacitor.
This type of combination has the following characteristics:
 Each capacitor has the same charge across it. If the battery supplies + Q charge to the left
plate of the capacitor C1, due to induction – Q charge is induced on its right plate and +Q
charge on the left plate of the capacitor C i.e.,
Q = Q1 = Q2 = Q3
 The potential difference across each capacitor is different due to different values of
capacitances.
 The voltage of the battery has been divided among the various capacitors. Hence
V = V1 + V2 + V3
Q Q Q
V= + +
C1 C2 C3
1
V=Q[ 1 + 1 + ]
C1 C2 C3
V 1 1
=[ + 1 + ]
Q C1 C2 C3

 Thus, we can replace series combination of capacitors with one equivalent capacitor
having capacitance C i.e.,
1 1 1 1
= + +
𝐶𝑒𝑞 C1 C2 C3
In the case of ‘n’ capacitors connected in series, we have

1 1 1 1
= + + +…….+ 1
𝐶𝑒𝑞 C1 C2 C3 Cn

Capacitance
Capacitance: Capacitance is defined as: “It is the capacity of the capacitor to store charge in
it. Or. The capacitance is the charge which is deposited on the plates of a capacitor to establish a
potential difference of 1 volt over it. Thus, the charge and voltage of a capacitor are directly
related”
 Capacitance is given the symbol C.
 It’s SI unit is Farad (F).

Formula:

C=𝑄
𝑉

Where Q is the charge stored in the plates and V is the potential difference of the voltage source
connected to them. In short, capacitance is a measure of the ratio of charge to voltage, and so
the units of capacitance are coulombs of charge/volts of potential difference. A capacitor with
a higher capacitance stores more charge for a given amount of voltage.
Equivalent capacitance of series capacitors:
In a series circuit, all of the components are arranged on the same path around the loop, and in
the same way, series capacitors are connected one after another on a single path around the
circuit. The total capacitance for a number of capacitors in series can be expressed as the
capacitance from a single equivalent capacitor.

The formula for this can be derived from the main expression for capacitance from the previous
section, re-arranged as follows:

V=𝑄
𝐶

Since Kirchhoff’s voltage law states that the sum of voltage drops around a complete loop of a
circuit must be equal to the voltage from the power supply, for a number of capacitors n, the
voltages must add as follows:

Vtot =V1+V2+V3+… Vn

Where Vtot is the total voltage from the power source, and V1, V2, V3 and so on are the voltage
drops across the first capacitor, second capacitor, third capacitor and so on. In combination with
the previous equation, this leads to:

𝑄𝑡𝑜𝑡 𝑄1 𝑄2 𝑄3 𝑄𝑛
= + + +…
𝐶𝑡𝑜𝑡 𝐶1 𝐶2 𝐶3 𝐶𝑛

Where the subscripts have the same meaning as before. However, the charge on each of the
capacitor plates (i.e., the Q values) come from the neighboring plate (i.e., the positive charge on
one side of plate 1 must match the negative charge on the closest side of plate 2 and so on), so
you can write:

Qtot = Q1 = Q2 = Q3 = Qn

The charges therefore cancel out, leaving

1 1 1
= + + 1 +….+ 1
Ctot C1 C2 C3 Cn

Since the capacitance of the combination is equal to the equivalent capacitance of a single
capacitor, this can be written:

1 1 1 1
= + + +….+ 1
Ceq C1 C2 C3 Cn

for the any number of capacitors n.

Equivalent capacitance of parallel capacitors:
For parallel capacitors, the analogous result is derived from Q = VC, the fact that the voltage
drop across all capacitors connected in parallel (or any components in a parallel circuit) is the
same, and the fact that the charge on the single equivalent capacitor will be the total charge of
all of the individual capacitors in the parallel combination. The result is a simpler expression for
the total capacitance or equivalent capacitance:

Ceq =C1+ C2+ C3+…Cn

where again, n is the total number of capacitors.

Types of capacitors
There are several types of capacitors, each with its own characteristics and best-use cases. Here
are some common types of capacitors with brief explanations:

Electrolytic Capacitors:
These capacitors use an electrolyte solution and are known for high capacitance values. They are
polarized, which means they have a positive and negative lead. They are commonly used in power
supply and audio applications.
 Tantalum Capacitors: Tantalum capacitors are a type of electrolytic capacitor known for
their high capacitance values in a relatively small and compact form.
Tantalum capacitors are commonly used in various electronic devices, such as mobile
phones, laptops, and other portable electronics, where miniaturization and reliability are
essential.

Ceramic Capacitors:
Ceramic capacitors are a widely used type of capacitor in electronic circuits. They are known for
their small size, low cost, and versatility. These capacitors use a ceramic material as the dielectric,
which separates the conducting plates.
Ceramic capacitors are commonly used for decoupling, bypassing, filtering, and other general-
purpose applications in electronics.
 Ceramic Disc Capacitors: These are ceramic capacitors in a disc shape. They are
commonly used in high-voltage and high-frequency applications.
Film Capacitors:
Film capacitors use a thin plastic film as the dielectric material. They come in various types,
including polyester, polypropylene, and mylar capacitors. They are known for their stability and
are often used in timing circuits and audio applications.
 Polycarbonate capacitors: Polycarbonate capacitors are a type of capacitor that uses
polycarbonate as the dielectric material. They are known for their stability, low dielectric
absorption, and high insulation resistance.
Polycarbonate capacitors are still used in some specific applications where their properties
are advantageous.
 Polyester capacitors: Polyester capacitors, also known as Mylar capacitors, are a type of
capacitor that uses a polyester film as the dielectric material. These capacitors are popular
for their affordability, good insulation properties, and relatively stable capacitance values.
Polyester capacitors are often used in applications such as signal coupling, filtering, and
timing circuits, where their moderate performance characteristics are sufficient.

Variable Capacitors:
Variable capacitors, also known as tuning capacitors or trimmer capacitors, are capacitors designed
to have an adjustable capacitance. This capacitance can be changed by physically altering the
distance between the plates or changing the effective plate area. They are often used in radio tuning
circuits, antennas, and other applications where the capacitance needs to be adjustable for tuning
or calibrating electronic circuits.
 Trimmer Capacitors: Trimmer capacitors are small variable capacitors often used for
precise tuning in electronic circuits.

Paper Capacitors:
Paper capacitors, also known as paper dielectric capacitors, are a type of capacitor that uses paper
as the dielectric material. These capacitors are relatively old and not commonly used today. They
were more prevalent in early electronic circuits. Older capacitors used paper as the dielectric
material. They are less common today due to reliability issues but can still be found in vintage
electronics.

Feed through Capacitor:

A feed-through capacitor, also known as a feed-through filter capacitor or a feed-through
decoupling capacitor, is an electronic component used to filter and block unwanted high-
frequency signals.
They are often found in electronic equipment, communications systems, and power supplies.

Silver mica capacitor:

A silver mica capacitor is a type of capacitor that uses a mica dielectric material and silver
electrodes to store and regulate electrical energy. They are known for their stability, high precision,
and low tolerance, making them suitable for applications where accurate and stable capacitance
values are required.

Bipolar capacitor:
A bipolar capacitor, also known as a non-polarized capacitor, is an electronic component used to
store and release electrical energy in a circuit.
They are typically used in applications where the polarity of the voltage may change, or where it's
difficult to maintain a fixed polarity. Common types of bipolar capacitors include ceramic and
film capacitors.

Uses of Capacitors
Capacitors are a basic component of electronics and are an integral accessory to a host of
applications. The most common use for capacitors is energy storage, power conditioning,
electronic noise filtering, remote sensing and signal coupling/decoupling. Due to the fact that
capacitors are an important and versatile function to varied applications, they are used in a wide
range of industries.
Energy Storage:

Capacitors will typically only provide enough power for electronic devices to use during temporary
power outages or when they need additional power.

A capacitor can store electric energy when it is connected to its charging circuit and when it is
disconnected from its charging circuit, it can dissipate that stored energy, so it can be used as a
temporary battery. Capacitors are commonly used in electronic devices to maintain power supply
while batteries are being changed.

In car audio systems, large capacitors store energy for the amplifier to use on demand.
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can be equipped with maintenance-free capacitors to
extend service life.

Pulsed power weapons:

Groups of large, low-inductance high-voltage capacitors (capacitor banks) are used to supply huge
pulses of current for many pulsed power applications. These include electromagnetic
forming, Marx generators, pulsed lasers (especially TEA lasers), pulse forming
networks, fusion research, and particle accelerators.

Power conditioning:

 Capacitors can also be used in charge pump circuits as the energy storage element in the
generation of higher voltages than the input voltage.
 They Capacitors are connected in parallel with the DC power circuits of most electronic
devices to smooth current fluctuations for signal or control circuits.
 The capacitors act as a local reserve for the DC power source, and bypass AC currents from
the power supply.
 This is also used in car audio applications.
Suppression and coupling:
Capacitors used for suppressing undesirable frequencies are sometimes called filter capacitors.
They are common in electrical and electronic equipment, and cover a number of applications.

 AC coupling & DC blocking: A common function of a capacitor is to separate the AC

and DC components of a signal. A capacitor will work to allow AC signals to pass from
one section of a circuit to the other while blocking DC static voltage. In this function, it is
essential to ensure that the impedance – the amount of opposition that the capacitor
presents to the voltage – is suitably low.
 Signal coupling: Because capacitors pass AC but block DC signals (when charged up to
the applied DC voltage), they are often used to separate the AC and DC components of a
signal. This method is known as AC coupling or "capacitive coupling".
 Decoupling: A decoupling capacitor is a capacitor used to decouple one part of a circuit
from another. Noise caused by other circuit elements is shunted through the capacitor,
reducing the effect they have on the rest of the circuit. It is most commonly used between
the power supply and ground. For higher frequencies an alternative name is bypass
capacitor as it is used to bypass the power supply or other high impedance component of
a circuit.