answersLogoWhite

0

In a sense, a capacitor IS a battery. But a very small one. A typical 33uF capacitor will hold about 33uC - that is, 33uA (microamperes) per second. At 16V potential, that will be around 528uC of charge (or 528uA in a second).

In contrast, a 1.5V AA battery can typically provide between 1.5 and 1.8Ah (ampere-hours) at 1.5V. That is - a device drawing 1.8A (amperes) will keep running off of such a battery for about an hour. The same device would consume the charge stored in our 33uF capacitor in 1/54545th of a second.

So in the end - no, it's not likely that a capacitor would be a feasible means to store large amounts of charge.

Rather, capacitors are used wherever oscillating circuits are needed (a basic R-C oscillator can be built from a capacitor and a resistor), and wherever "voltage smoothing" is required - the amount of charge a capacitor holds wouldn't run a small pocket light, but it would be enough to "fill in the gap" if a momentary voltage drop occured in a line-powered device.

Capacitors are also used in this very manner to reduce ("de-couple") mains hum (50Hz or 60Hz, depending on the continent) by "filling the voids" that are left over in the rectified DC voltage when the AC voltage phase passes through 0V.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

How can a capacitor be charged using a battery?

A capacitor can be charged using a battery by connecting the positive terminal of the battery to one terminal of the capacitor and the negative terminal of the battery to the other terminal of the capacitor. This creates a flow of electrons from the battery to the capacitor, storing electrical energy in the capacitor.


What devices do you use to store electricity?

capacitor inductor battery


How can a capacitor be charged using a battery charger?

To charge a capacitor using a battery charger, you connect the positive terminal of the battery charger to the positive terminal of the capacitor, and the negative terminal of the battery charger to the negative terminal of the capacitor. The battery charger will then supply a voltage to the capacitor, causing it to store electrical energy.


What will happen if you connect 12volt battery to a 240VOLT capacitor?

If the capacitor is charged then the battery will explode.


Can you use a high voltage capacitor on a low voltage battery?

Yes. You just don't want to exceed the voltage rating of the capacitor.


What is use of capacitor in electronics circuit?

to limit the current and to use it as a back up battery capacitors are used ..


Why you use capacitor as a filter in power supply?

capacitor acts as a small battery ,during rectification ac to dc it gets some blank space (no current) to fill this current from capacitor is used.


What capacitor value is good for car battery?

A car battery does not need a capacitor as it's regulating capacity (when in good condition) is well above any capacitor you can fit into your car.


What happens when a capacitor reaches a steady state?

when a capacitor reaches it, it acts as a battery


Can you use a battery in place of capacitor?

Batteries and capacitors serve quite different purposes and are usually not interchangeable.


How does the voltage across a parallel plate capacitor change when connected to a battery?

When a parallel plate capacitor is connected to a battery, the voltage across the capacitor increases as it charges. The battery provides a potential difference that causes charges to accumulate on the plates, leading to an increase in voltage until the capacitor is fully charged.


Why the flash of a camera is commonly powered by a capacitor?

Camera flashes use a capacitor because a capacitor can dump a lot of electrical energy very quickly. Much faster than a battery. That's how to produce a quick flash by using a capacitor that suddenly discharges the electricity.