Capacitor types


A capacitor (formerly known as a condenser, and prior to that known as a permittor) is a passive two-terminal electrical component that stores electric energy in an electric field. The forms, styles, and materials of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors (called "plates") separated by an insulating layer (called the dielectric). Capacitors are widely used as parts of electrical circuits in many common electrical devices.