Capacitor

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/capacitor

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the unit of capacitance?The Farad (F), named after Michael Faraday
2. What is the key formula for parallel plate capacitor?C = (κ ε₀ A) / d
3. How does a capacitor store energy?When a voltage is applied, electrons move to one plate and leave the other, creating a charge separation that builds an electric field inside the insulator. The stored charge is the energy.
4. Why are capacitors different from batteries?Batteries use chemical reactions to keep energy for a long time, while capacitors keep energy in an electric field and can give it back almost instantly.

Dielectric Constant: A measure of a material's ability to store electrical energy in an electric field.
Electrostatic Induction: The process by which a charged object can attract or repel charges in a nearby conductor.
Time Constant (RC): A measure of how quickly a capacitor charges or discharges in a circuit.