capacitor
7 ResultsDictionary
capacitor
An electronic component that stores an electric charge and releases it when required. It comes in a huge variety of sizes and types for use in regulating power as well as for conditioning,...
Dictionary
Definition: capacitor
An electronic component that stores an electric charge and releases it when required. It comes in a huge variety of sizes and types for use in regulating power as well as for conditioning, smoothing and isolating signals. Capacitors are made from many different materials, and virtually every electrical and electronic system uses them.
Somewhat Like a Battery
Capacitors act like tiny storage batteries that charge and discharge rapidly. Made of two plates separated by a thin insulator or sometimes air, when one plate is charged negative and the other positive, a charge builds up and remains after the current is removed. When power is required, the circuit is switched to conduct current between the plates, and the charge is released. See ultracapacitor.
Many Applications
Big capacitors are used in computer power supplies. Tiny discrete ceramic and tantalum capacitors are built on the outside of the chip package or surround the chip on the motherboard. In signal processing, a capacitor and resistor smooth the spikes and sharp edges from a signal. In DRAM chips, capacitors are microscopic cells that hold the 0s and 1s (bits). Logic circuits, which are mostly transistors and resistors, may also contain capacitors. See tantalum capacitor and ferroelectric capacitor.
Capacitors
Silver Batteries
Looking like \"silver cans,\" and acting like miniature storage batteries, capacitors are found on countless circuit boards such as this high-end display adapter. Wired between the power and ground planes, they quickly charge up when the computer is turned on. When more transistors switch simultaneously because the application demands extra processing, they are made to release their charge. (Image courtesy of NVIDIA Corporation.)
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Photos: Bad capacitors
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Photos: Bad capacitors
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Additional Results
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Capacitors tapped to boost electric vehicle energy storage potential
Hey, here's something to think about on a pre-spring Friday. Most of us have been conditioned to think of batteries as the primary energy storage option for electric vehicles, but chances are...
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Dell lawsuit: Pattern of deceit
According to a recently unsealed lawsuit, Dell shipped approximately 12 million computers containing faulty components and then tried to hide the problems from buyers.
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We live in a global community where there is little happening in the world that we aren't all connected with in some way. The current global financial crisis underlies that point but also, the...
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Microwaves from silicon chips?
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Photos: CeeLite's bendable, durable lights
At ThinkGreen conference, start-up demonstrates how its flexible light-emitting capacitors can endure rough conditions.
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Photos: Bad capacitors
Blown capacitors can cause distorted video, power failures, periodic system shutdowns and more.
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Photos: Bad capacitors
Blown capacitors can cause distorted video, power failures, periodic system shutdowns and more.
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When good capacitors go bad
Not all broken PC caps will bulge, swell and burst. They can fail, and you'd never know by looking at them.
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PCs plagued by bad capacitors
Some Dell, Apple and HP computers with faulty motherboards are at risk for video failure and periodic system shutdowns. Photos: Defective capacitors
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Bulging capacitors haunt Dell
PC maker plans to replace components on some of its Optiplex business PCs but will not issue a product-wide recall.
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