How Capacitors Store and Release Energy

One of the essential electrical components for storing energy is the capacitor. A battery is quick to charge, and relies on chemical reactions for the release of energy and thus has a slow discharge rate. By contrast the capacitor, as a circuit component, stores electrical energy temporarily via a process of distributing charged particles across a pair of plates, which creates a difference in potential. Requiring less time than a battery to charge, the capacitor is also able to release its energy very quickly.

Capacitors have a variety of uses, with mylar capacitors commonly employed in timer circuits such as alarm clocks and ceramic capacitors employed with high frequency applications such as X-ray or MRI equipment. Super capacitors are used in powering hybrid and electric vehicles, while those made of glass support high-voltage applications. Within these various capacitors, terminals connect with two metal plates that are separated by a dielectric, or a non-conducting substance.

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