1.3 Capacitors and Capacitance

• The principle of operation of a capacitor
• Capacitance, and the characteristics of capacitive circuits (charge and discharge)
• Selecting capacitors, and reading datasheets
• Series and parallel connection of capacitors

• describe the principle of operation of a capacitor in an electric circuit
• explain the characteristics of capacitive circuits
• select appropriate capacitors for a given application
• analyse series and parallel connection of capacitors
• appreciate the importance of capacitors in electrical appliances

“How do capacitors work?”

“Why are capacitors important in electrical technology?”

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1. Capacitors and capacitance
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How a capacitor stores charge and works, the charge/discharge characteristics of capacitive circuits, how to select a capacitor, the rules for series and parallel connection, and why capacitors matter.
2. How a capacitor stores charge
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The principle of operation: two plates, a dielectric, charge separation, and why current stops once the capacitor is charged.
3. Capacitance, units and what changes C
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Capacitance as C = Q / V, the farad and its sub-units, and how plate area, gap and dielectric set the value.
4. Charge and discharge in RC circuits
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Voltage-time and current-time curves of a capacitive circuit, the time constant tau = R C, and the workshop experiment that verifies them.
5. Types of capacitors
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Ceramic, electrolytic, film and variable capacitors: how they look, whether they are polarised, and which Kenyan jobs each one fits.
6. Selecting a capacitor from a datasheet
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   How to read a capacitor body and datasheet - value, voltage rating, type, polarity - and choose a suitable part for a given circuit.
7. Series and parallel capacitor networks
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Rules and calculations for total capacitance in series and in parallel, voltage sharing, and when a technician uses each connection.
8. Why capacitors matter in appliances
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Charge storage, motor control, timer circuits and smoothing - the reasons capacitors are important in Kenyan electrical appliances, with a class presentation.