German scientist named Ewald Georg von Kleist invented the capacitor in November 1745.

Several months later Pieter van Musschenbroek, a Dutch professor at the University of Leyden came up with a very similar device in the form of the Leyden jar, which is typically credited as the first capacitor.

1. consisted of a glass jar, half filled with water and lined inside and out with metal foil. 2. The glass acted as the dielectric, although it was thought for a time that water was the key ingredient. 3. There was usually a metal wire or chain driven through a cork in the top of the jar. 4. The chain was then hooked to something that would deliver a charge, most likely a hand-cranked static generator. 5. Once delivered, the jar would hold two equal but opposite charges in equilibrium until they were connected with a wire, producing a slight spark or shock.

MATERIAL TWO CONDUCTING PLATES SEPARATED BY AN INSULATING DIELECTRIC

Application

Suitable types with reasons details & comments

Power supply smoothing Audio frequency coupling

Aluminium electrolytic High capacity and high ripple current capability ** Aluminium Electrolytic: High capacitance Tantalum: High capacitance and small size Polyester / polycarbonate : Cheap, but values not as high as those available with electrolytic Ceramic COG: Small, cheap and low loss Ceramic X7R: Small and cheap but higher loss than COG, although high capacitance per volume Polystyrene: Very low loss, but larger and more expensive than ceramic Ceramic COG: Small, low loss, but values limited to around 1000 pF max. Ceramic X7R: Small, low loss, higher values available than for COG types Silver mica: Close tolerance, low loss and stable, but high cost Ceramic COG: Close tolerance, low loss,

RF coupling

RF decoupling

Tuned circuits

FORM OF CAPACITOR

 constructed with materials such as titanium acid barium for dielectric use in high frequency applications used to by-pass high frequency signals to ground very small capacitance values and very small sizes very small size and value, very cheap, reliable

 Used thin polyester film as the dielectric not high tolerance cheap and handy. No polarity, mainly used when a higher tolerance is needed then polyester caps can offer

 Use thin polyester film as a dielectric Not as high a tolerance as polypropylene Cheap and handy, temperature stable, readily available, widely used. Temperature stability is poorer than paper capacitors

 Made of Tantalum Pentoxide electrolytic capacitors but used with a material called tantalum for the electrodes Tantalum capacitors are a little bit more expensive than aluminum electrolytic capacitors Used for circuits which demand high stability in the capacitance values

 Used in certain high voltage applications Mostly been replaced by plastic film capacitors paper is highly hygroscopic, absorbing moisture from the atmosphere despite plastic enclosures Absorbed moisture degrades performance by increasing dielectric losses (power factor) and decreasing insulation resistance

 used as a dielectric Used in resonance circuits, frequency filters, and military RF applications. Highly stable, good temperature coefficient, excellent for endurance because of their frequency characteristics, no large values, high voltage types available, can be expensive but worth the extra dimes It does not change physically or chemically with age

 Similar to Mica Capacitors But, stability and frequency characteristics are better Ultra-reliable, ultra-stable, and resistant to nuclear radiation. But high cost.

 Made of electrolyte, basically conductive salt in solvent Aluminium electrodes are used by using a thin oxidation membrane common type, polarized capacitor Used in Ripple filters, timing circuits Cheap, readily available, good for storage of charge (energy)

 No polarity used in filter circuits or timing applications

THE CHARGE OF 1 COULOMB STORED ON EACH OF THE CONDUCTING PLATES AS A RESULT OF A POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

OF 1 VOLT BETWEEN THE TWO PLATES

Parallel-plate capacitor separated by a vacuum Parallel-plate capacitor separated by a dielectric material

Parallel

Series