Practical Audio Electronics

13  |  Capacitors and Inductors

Capacitors block low frequencies and pass high frequencies

Inductors pass low frequencies and block high frequencies

Capacitors and inductors are examined together because these two components are very closely related, despite being markedly different in structure and operation. At the very simplest level a capacitor is composed of two sheets of conductive material separated by a layer of insulating material, while an inductor is nothing more than a length of wire wound into a coil. The relationship between capacitors and inductors stems from their very differences. While not holding in all cases, there is a symmetry between these two components. As a general rule whatever one does the other is likely to do ...