Chapter 4

Capacitors

A capacitor is an arrangement of conductors that are insulated from each other so that charge can be stored. Imagine two metal plates arranged parallel to each other and separated by air. If we apply a voltage to the plates by connecting them to a battery (Figure 4.1), then one plate will gain electrons and the other will lose electrons. When the battery connections are removed there is no connection between the plates that would allow the electrons to return, and there will still be a voltage between the plates, caused by the fact that one plate is negatively charged and the other positively charged. If the plates are now connected, a transient current will flow until there is no surplus or deficit of electrons on either ...

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