Re: How does a capacitor work?

Dear Diana,

A capacitor can be seen as a temporary storage of charge. Positive and negative charges attract each other and, if they are separated by a thin non-conducting membrane in- between two metal electrodes (such as in a capacitor), they "stick" to it similar to two magnets across a piece of paper.

If you connect the two electrodes with a wire, the charges will flow through it and annihilate. If you apply a voltage across the electrodes, new charge will flow into the capacitor and remain there until you empty it again through the wire.

The amount of charge deposited depends on the voltage, the size of the electrodes and the thickness and material of the membrane inbetween. I hope this helps you understand better how a capacitor works.

Tropical Greetings,
Frank Berauer
Senior R&D Engineer
Hewlett-Packard Singapore