Slide 1: As you can see, here is a typical capacitor (show).

Capacitors are devices whose principal

characteristic is capacitance. They consist of 2 conducting surfaces separated by dielectric
material. 2 plates in 2 opposite sides contain positive and negative charges (show). Here is the
place for dielectric material, which can be paper, mica, plastics or air.
Slide 2: Now let’s see how a capacitor works. Let’s imagine that in a space we have 2 separate
conductors that are flat, parallel and opposite. If, by means of a battery, we apply a potential
difference V between 2 plates, we will have a displacement of electrons from one plate to the
other. This displacement will continue until, on the plates, we have 2 charges of the same
magnitude Q, a positive charge on one plate and a negative charge on the other. The charges Q
will have such a value as to restore the electrostatic equilibrium of the system.
And here is a formula describes capacitance as a ratio between charge and potential difference:
C= Q/V.
C stands for Capacitance, Q: Magnitude, V is defined as potential difference.
C is measured by Farad, Q by Coulomb and V by Volt.
Slide 3: Plate attached to negative terminal accepts electrons produced by battery.
Plate attached to positive terminal loses electrons to battery.
Slide 4: - As the current flows through battery to reach capacitor, the bulb lights up then gets
dimmer. And once the capacitor reached capacity, the bulb goes out.
- Now let’s see what happens if we replace battery with wire: as the current flows from plate to
other, the bulb lights up and then gets dimmer. The bulb goes out once capacitor completely
discharged (same number of electrons on both plates).
Slide 5: - As you can see, the electric field generated between the plates by the charges Q will
have a difference of potential on the plates, equal and opposite to that of the battery.
- Here, if we fill the space between the plates with a dielectric material, we will have polarization
charges on the dielectric surfaces facing the metal plates. Obviously, these polarization charges
will be of opposite sign to the charge of the nearby plate. The polarization charges tend to offset
the charges on the metal plates which, for the same charges on the metal plates, is less with
polarization charges present than it would be without them. Conversely we can say that with the
same potential difference applied across the metal plates, the electric charges displaced on the
metal plates are bigger, if we have dielectric material between them. But if the charge is greater, it
means capacitance is greater. If we indicate by C 0 the capacitance of the 2 plates with the space
between them a vacuum, and C the capacitance of the same plates with the space filled with
dielectric material, the ratio C/C 0 is dielectric constant.

Slide 6: I would like to show you 2 basic types of capacitor.

- The first type is electrolytic capacitor: An electrolytic capacitor is a type of capacitor that
uses an electrolyte, an ionic conducting liquid, as one of its plates, to achieve a larger capacitance
per unit volume than other types. They are used in relatively high-current and low-frequency
electrical circuits, particularly in power supply filters.
However, their weakness is that they also have very low breakdown voltage, higher leakage
current and inductance, poorer tolerances and temperature range, and shorter lifetimes compared
to other types of capacitors.
- The second type is ceramic capacitor: a capacitor constructed of alternating layers of metal and
ceramic, with the ceramic material acting as the dielectric
Slide 7: Finally, it is the in-series connection and parallel connection in capacitors.
- Capacitors in a parallel configuration each have the same applied voltage. Their
capacitances add up.
- In series connection, the total voltage difference from end to end is apportioned to each
capacitor according to the inverse of its capacitance.