12,297
edits
(Created page with "Capacitors are made to store charge - like a tank for water is made to store water. They can be filled with electrical charge and the voltage rises accordingly. Double the charg...") |
|||
Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
=== capacitors where polarity matters === | === capacitors where polarity matters === | ||
Electrolytic capacitor: | Electrolytic capacitor: | ||
This kind of capacitor needs to be connected in the correct polarity or it will be destroyed. (There are spectacular videos on youtube of explosions occuring when connected to reversed polarity). They are basically cans of aluminium filled with an electrolytic fluid. The two plates are gone, but are replaced: one "plate" now is the electrolytic fluid, the other one is the can. Between the can and the fluid a thin isolating layer exists so they don't connect - like the foil in the foil capacitor. As the 2 "plates" are no more identical like the metal plates were in the foil capacitor the symbol also changes: one side is thicker or bent and no more similar to the other. However there are also symbols where only a + or - sign marks one side of the capacitor. Have a look at the [ | This kind of capacitor needs to be connected in the correct polarity or it will be destroyed. (There are spectacular videos on youtube of explosions occuring when connected to reversed polarity). They are basically cans of aluminium filled with an electrolytic fluid. The two plates are gone, but are replaced: one "plate" now is the electrolytic fluid, the other one is the can. Between the can and the fluid a thin isolating layer exists so they don't connect - like the foil in the foil capacitor. As the 2 "plates" are no more identical like the metal plates were in the foil capacitor the symbol also changes: one side is thicker or bent and no more similar to the other. However there are also symbols where only a + or - sign marks one side of the capacitor. Have a look at the [[wikipedia:Electrolytic capacitor#Polarity|wikipedia page]] for its symbols. | ||
An other form of a polarized capacitor is the tantalum capacitor ([ | An other form of a polarized capacitor is the tantalum capacitor ([[wikipedia:Tantalum capacitor|image]]). They can easily be confused with [[wikipedia:Ceramic capacitor|ceramic capacitors]] which often come in a similar looking case. But their much larger capacitance can be used as a hint that it's not a ceramic capacitor: | ||
Ceramic capacitors are in the range of pF to few nF - tantalum capacitors range from several approx. 100 nF to several µF. | Ceramic capacitors are in the range of pF to few nF - tantalum capacitors range from several approx. 100 nF to several µF. |