Capacitor

A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It consists of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material known as a dielectric. Capacitors come in various types and sizes, each suited for different applications ranging from smoothing power supply fluctuations to filtering signals in electronic circuits.

Capacitors are characterized by their capacitance, measured in farads (F), which indicates how much charge the capacitor can store for a given voltage. In circuits, capacitors are essential for timing, filtering, decoupling, and energy storage purposes.